The Life Of Sasuke
by Lord Rekhyt
Summary: Sasuke lives a broken, disillusioned life. In his second year of college, he meets up with Naruto and falls in love, but is that ever enough? I think not... This is the story of how Sasuke went about claiming the blond boy of his dreams. M Rated. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I am here to disclaim!I disclaim everything, except my laptop and my dirty mind. Muahahahaha!

Sasuke: … Rekhyt does not own Naruto.

Rekhyt: Aw dammit…

**Warnings: **Bad language, mature themes, and eventual Yaoi.

**Summary: **AU and a bit OoC.Uchiha Sasuke, entering his second year of college, has to deal with his sexuality, his friends, his rivals, his family, and his sadistic and hateful brother.

**Chapter 1**

The cold floor tiles were soothing against Sasuke's aching skin. He lay there, unwilling to move, in case it incurred his father's wrath again.

A few minutes ago, things were not exactly peaceful, but generally calm in the Uchiha household. That is, until Sasuke bumped a vase that was balanced precariously on a shelf by the doorway. As he entered the room, Sasuke had tripped on the ostentatious rug and his shoulder had knocked into the shelf, causing the vase to fall and shatter against the tiles. The result was an outburst from Uchiha Fugaku, Sasuke's father, and he had been promptly beaten to the ground as punishment.

Sasuke briefly considered crawling out of the room, but dismissed the thought. No, he would just stay there until he deemed it safe to retreat again.

Fugaku had gone back to his chair and was simply ignoring his younger son. Sasuke's mother, Uchiha Mikoto, had remained silent and made no effort to help Sasuke, but she kept throwing him furtive glances when she thought that Fugaku wasn't looking.

"Where is Itachi?" Fugaku asked Mikoto gruffly.

Mikoto shrugged her shoulders. "He went out with a few of his friends."

Fugaku grunted and nodded his approval. "That's good; he's getting out and keeping busy. Unlike _this _waste of space." He added with a nod in Sasuke's direction. Mikoto said nothing. She stared blankly at the televisions screen.

"At least we have one son that is a proper man." Fugaku continued. "Itachi was never useless like his pathetic brother."

Mikoto eyed Fugaku warily. "Speaking of Itachi," she said, "We're running out of places for his achievement awards."

Fugaku looked over at the shelf that held Itachi's awards, and Mikoto gave Sasuke a barely perceptible nod that he understood to mean _"Go, quickly."_

Quietly as he could, Sasuke hastily clambered to his feet and darted out of the door and up the stairs. He went into his bedroom and shut the door behind him, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His face stung with a previously unnoticed intensity, and he went to his mirror, only to find a bruise already forming around his left eye. With skin as pale as his, he had always bruised easily.

"Damn Fugaku." Sasuke spat viciously. "And damn Itachi!"

A soft vibration from his pocket announced an incoming call on his phone, and when he fished it out of his pocket he saw one of his friend's names flashing on the screen.

"Hey Kiba," Sasuke said, trying to keep his tone light and casual.

"Hey Sasuke," Kiba's voice greeted, "how's it going?"

"Fine," Sasuke lied, "What's up?"

"Nothing much, really. Just kinda bored, ya know."

Sasuke smiled. Kiba was easily bored by things.

"Yeah, well, college starts again tomorrow." Sasuke said, "Then we can find new ways to land ourselves in the Dean's office."

Kiba chuckled.

"That shouldn't be too hard. I sure am missing the detention room."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to laugh. "Personally, I've seen enough of that place to last me a lifetime."

Kiba chuckled again. "Ino called the other day. She seems to be interested in me."

"Well, you've been chasing after her for long enough." Sasuke drawled.

"Damn straight. She's finally responding to my astounding looks and witty charm."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and heard the sound of heavy footfalls approaching.

"I have to go." He whispered through his teeth.

"Your dad?" Kiba asked quickly. "I'll see you tomorrow Sasuke. Bye."

The line went dead, and Sasuke quickly shoved the phone back into his pocket. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared blankly at the wall, thinking about the next day. It would be a relief to be back at college.

Unpacking his suitcase of his personal belongings, Sasuke remained stony faced as he assessed his new room mate. After last year, when he had shared a room with Kiba, the Dean had made certain that the two boys would not share a room again. Now he was rooming with a new boy.

The new guy had long black hair that was tied in a loose ponytail, and large, silvery eyes. Sasuke didn't care to find out the boys name, and the boy didn't volunteer the information, which suited Sasuke fine. Brushing his silky black hair out of his face, he put the last of his belongings on the desk at the foot of his bed and let of a sigh.

"What happened to your eye?" The new boy asked suddenly. Sasuke turned to face him and gave him the infamous Uchiha glare, which was usually enough to make grown men shudder and turn away in fear. His obsidian eyes glinted with unspoken fury at the question, and he wasn't disappointed by the reaction. The new boy immediately turned beet red and busied himself with making his bed up, so Sasuke stalked past him and left the room, heading down to the cafeteria for lunch.

It didn't take long to spot his usual crowd of friends when he entered the bright, airy lunch room. Kiba was being as loud as usual, entertaining the group as Sasuke approached them.

"Hey Sasuke," Kiba called when he noticed the Uchiha. His face darkened for a moment as his eyes came to rest on the purple bruise, but he didn't say anything.

Sasuke nodded a greeting to Kiba and his friends, taking his usual seat near the end of the table.

"So what did you do this summer, Gaara?" Kiba asked the red haired boy that was seated on the opposite end from the Uchiha.

"I spent most of my time at Shikamaru's place." Gaara answered. His eyes had dark rings around them, the result of a struggling insomniac. "You know that my sister has a crush on him."

"I do not!" Temari immediately snapped, her eyes flashing in indignation. Her blonde hair was pulled into four ponytails, and she was gently waving a small fan to stave off the sweltering heat of the cafeteria. "You know that Shikamaru is my best friend, and the only one here that is a challenge at strategy games."

Gaara snorted. "Yeah. And you want to get into his pants."

Everyone snorted with silent laughter, and no one met Temari's eye. She packed quite a punch.

Kiba glanced at Sasuke and winked mischievously before turning to Temari.

"What, haven't you jumped him yet, Temari? That's a new approach for you…"

Temari nearly launched herself across the table at him. Gaara had to physically restrain his sister to keep her from harming the brown haired boy.

Snickering, Sasuke looked across the table and came across an unfamiliar person sitting with them. Noticing Sasuke's gaze, Kiba spoke.

"Oh, this is Naruto, by the way." Kiba introduced the blond haired boy. "He just transferred from some college that none of us have heard of."

Sasuke nodded once in the new boy's direction, and the boy gave a small, sheepish smile in return.

Temari, who was still infuriated by Kiba's comment, barely noticed the exchange.

"I do _not _like Shikamaru." She emphasized, "And even if I did, he's already taken."

Everyone's eyes turned to her, gaping.

Temari immediately looked abashed and didn't elaborate.

"Who is it?" Kiba demanded.

"I can't say…" Temari muttered.

"Why not?" Gaara asked, "Some dark secret? Or are you afraid that your Shika-kun will be mad?"

Temari's face reddened. "No, but I doubt you want to hear about your older brother screwing around with my best friend." She snapped, then covered her mouth with her hand.

Everyone fell silent, except for Kiba. He began laughing hysterically, clutching his stomach.

"So Kankuro is the one that finally cracked Shikamaru?" he asked.

"Kankuro…" Gaara said, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Temari gave him a warning glare. "Don't even think about it, Gaara. Just don't say anything to either of them!"

Conveniently, it was at that moment that Shikamaru had come to join them.

"Hey guys." He said with a deep yawn. "What's got Kiba cracked up?"

"I doubt you want to hear it." Gaara said faintly.

Shikamaru stood there staring in bewilderment, and Kiba couldn't resist making a remark.

"Too sore to sit, Shikamaru?"

Temari whacked him on the head as Shikamaru shot the Inuzuka a suspicious look.

Naruto, the quiet, blond boy, snickered to himself, and Sasuke turned to study him. He was rather good looking, with tanned skin and bright blue eyes, and well muscled. He was a bit bulkier than Sasuke, who had a slimmer but well defined athletic build. Sensing Sasuke's eyes on him, Naruto looked up and blushed faintly, but this didn't deter the Uchiha. He watched as Naruto dropped his eyes to the table and began to fidget uncomfortably.

Sasuke was snapped out of his scrutiny by Shikamaru. It appeared that he had discovered what Temari had let slip.

"You told them WHAT?" he yelled, just as the last member of their group joined them. Shy and quiet by nature, Hinata stopped to look at Shikamaru in surprise before she settled into her seat next to Gaara.

"Wh – what's wrong?" she stammered. The dark haired girl had a stuttering problem, which was worsened by stressful situations. Her wide silvery eyes reminded Sasuke of his new room mate, and he made a mental note to ask her about him once Shikamaru had finished his tirade.

"Temari," Shikamaru sighed, "you're so troublesome sometimes."

Temari looked oddly hurt by that, and Shikamaru slung and arm over her shoulders.

"You're still the best, though." He reassured her. "I guess they would have found out eventually."

Sasuke glanced around the cafeteria and noticed Itachi and his cronies not far away. He glared harshly in their direction, itching to throw something, but Kiba whispered in his ear.

"Relax, Sasuke. Don't get worked up. They won't dare to mess with us here."

Sasuke nodded absently. Itachi had looked up and met his glare with one of his own.

Class started the next day, and it went smoothly. At least one of his friends was in each of his classes, with only two exceptions. No one else took World History, and although Gaara took Calculus, he was in a different class.

Martial Arts had the largest number of his group, with everyone but Shikamaru and Hinata there. After that, he had Chemistry, with Kiba and Temari, and then English, with Kiba and Hinata. After a quick lunch, Sasuke went to see Professor Yuhi before World History. Tall and red eyed, Professor Yuhi Kurenai had always intimidated Sasuke, but as he took his seat in the back of the class and the other students began to file in, he noticed a familiar face. The blond boy from the cafeteria entered and was turning his head from side to side, looking for a seat. He noticed Sasuke, and came over.

"Mind if I sit with you?" Naruto asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course not," Sasuke replied as he pulled a chair out for the blond, "Be my guest."

Naruto sat down and pulled his books out from his bag, but Sasuke shook his head.

"Professor Yuhi won't start class today." He told Naruto in his quiet voice. "She always starts with a summary of the syllabus for the semester."

Naruto smiled and returned his book to his bag, leaving only a pen and a notepad on the desk.

Sasuke glanced at the blond out of the corner of his eye, surreptitiously checking him out. He couldn't deny that he felt a certain attraction to the boy, though he didn't even know if Naruto swung that way. Naruto's blue eyes were staring out into space, completely unaware that the raven haired Uchiha was watching him intently. Just then, Professor Yuhi entered the room, breaking Sasuke out of his thoughts.

"Alright, class." She said briskly, "Since it's the first day of the new semester, I'm just going to give you an idea of what subjects we'll be covering."

At this point, Sasuke allowed himself to loose interest in the lesson and turn his attention back to Naruto. The blond was transcribing the professor's words in a neat, evenly spaced handwriting. His brows furrowed in concentration. Sasuke smiled to himself as he watched the boy write.

For the remainder of the class, Sasuke watched Naruto curiously, trying to figure out why he seemed drawn to him. There were plenty of boys in the college that interested Sasuke, and he found it odd that he would be so mesmerized by the new guy.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, Sasuke swept his bag up from the floor and walked to the door. He leaned against the frame, waiting for Naruto to catch up with him. As the blond got to him, the Uchiha gave him an easy smile and led the way out.

"So where's your dorm?" Sasuke inquired.

"Um, east block." Naruto replied, sounding surer of himself. "Room 309."

Sasuke bit back a grin. "What a coincidence, I'm in room 310 of the east block."

Naruto smiled and looked around, seeming to search for someone or something. Sasuke heard his name being called and felt the blood drain from his already pale face. Grabbing Naruto by the arm, he ducked through a door into an empty class.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"Sakura." Sasuke growled, yanking Naruto behind the teacher's desk and ducking down.

"Who is Sakura?" Naruto whispered.

"She-devil. She stalks me."

They heard the door open and footsteps becoming louder.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's voice called. "Hmm. I could have sworn he came in here."

Naruto snuck a peek over the top of the desk, seeing the pink haired girl looking around in consternation. It wasn't long before she turned on her heel and left the room.

Sasuke let out an explosive breath, which he seemed to have been holding while Sakura was in the room with them.

"Why do you avoid her?" Naruto inquired. "She isn't bad looking, I suppose."

Sasuke grinned, strangely glad that Naruto wasn't attracted to his stalker.

"Let's just say she isn't really my type." Sasuke replied, helping Naruto to his feet. The blond opened the door a crack and peered out.

"She's gone." He said, motioning for Sasuke to follow him.

They entered the corridor again, walking at a slow pace, before Sasuke heard his name being called again.

Turning, he smiled as Kiba ran toward them, coming to a screeching to a halt beside them.

"I wondered where you got to." Kiba said, panting slightly.

"Hello to you too, Kiba." Sasuke said.

Where's your room this year?" the Inuzuka asked.

"310, east. Yours?"

"402, east." Kiba replied, "I'm a floor above you."

Sasuke nodded just as Kiba's eyes found the other boy. "Oh, hey Naruto, I didn't see you there. How was your first day?"

Naruto shrugged. "Pretty boring, up until five minutes ago when Sasuke freaked out and ran away from a girl."

Kiba's face split into a wide grin. "Sakura again, huh?"

Naruto nodded, while Sasuke scowled.

"I did not _run away_."

"You ducked into a classroom, right?" Kiba asked.

Sasuke smiled sheepishly and nodded.

"I can't say I blame you, mate." Kiba said, slinging an arm over Sasuke's shoulders. "That girl is a nightmare."

Sasuke laughed lightly, beginning to walk with his friends.

"What do you have planned for tonight?" Kiba asked the two boys.

"Nothing, I guess." Naruto said, "I don't have any homework."

"Same here." Sasuke said.

"Well, come up to my room then, we've got a little party planned."

Sasuke considered him out the corner of his eye.

"Come on Sasuke," Kiba said in a husky voice, nuzzling into Sasuke's neck and planting soft kisses there. "You know you want to."

Sasuke laughed again and pushed Kiba's face away. "Sure, sure. I'll be there, Kiba-kun."

"Excellent." Kiba beamed. "What about you, Naruto?"

Naruto, who had watched the exchange with wide, disbelieving eyes, quickly snapped out of his stupor. "Sure, I'll be there."

"Awesome." Kiba said, skipping off by himself. "I'll see you two later then!"

Silence followed Kiba's departure.

"That boy…" Sasuke said, shaking his head. He brushed a few strands of his hair out of his eyes and glanced at Naruto, who was eyeing him suspiciously.

"Are you and Kiba, um, you know…"

Sasuke took a moment to process the question before he laughed loudly, making the blond boy jump in surprise.

"Sorry," he said, clutching his stomach, "but that is just weird. Me and Kiba? No way."

"But, they way he –"

Sasuke shrugged. "That's just how Kiba is. He'd do the same to anyone of us, if he wanted something."

Naruto nodded slowly and followed the Uchiha up the stairs of the east block. Outside his room, he said a quick goodbye and darted into his room, while Sasuke went into his own room.

Inside the room, he found Kiba sitting on his bed, glaring daggers at his new room mate. As he walked in, Kiba turned to look at him.

"Okay, Sasuke, spill. What happened to your eye?"

"Um, Kiba? I don't think that now is a good time..." Sasuke mumbled.

"It was your father, wasn't it?" Kiba continued relentlessly.

Sasuke simply nodded and went to his dresser, grabbing some clean clothing.

"Kiba, just drop it, okay?" Sasuke said, "I'm away from him now, for a whole semester, so there's nothing to worry about."

Kiba snorted. "Alright, Sasuke, but we're going to talk about this later."

Without warning, Kiba glared at Sasuke's room mate.

"You're a Hyuuga, aren't you?" he questioned severely.

Taken aback, the boy nodded slowly.

"Um, yes. How did you –"

"One of our friends," Sasuke said. "Her eyes are exactly like yours."

"You must mean Hinata." The boy said with undisguised venom in his voice.

Sasuke was instantly on the defensive.

"Yes, we happen to be very good friends with Hinata. What of it?"

The Hyuuga snorted and turned his back, not answering. Sasuke shot him a filthy look and after a quick "Be right back," to Kiba, went into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later, he returned, finding Kiba waiting for him.

"About time." Kiba said. "Let's go."

As they walked, Kiba rounded on Sasuke.

"So," he started, "The new kid seems nice."

Sasuke nodded. He had a feeling that he knew where this was going.

"Not bad looking, wouldn't you say?"

Sasuke shrugged, intending to play it the hard way.

"Oh come on, Sasuke," Kiba sighed in exasperation, "you couldn't take your eyes off of him at lunch yesterday. Admit it, you like the kid."

Sasuke gave an evil smirk. "I admit to nothing, Kiba."

Kiba rolled his brown eyes.

"You'll see, Sasuke-kun. I know you, and I can tell that you like him."

A month later, class was going at a steady pace. Kiba hadn't mentioned anything about Naruto to Sasuke again, but Sasuke often caught the Inuzuka boy shooting him covert glances.

One sunny afternoon, Sasuke was sitting between Kiba and Hinata in English class, casually ignoring the teacher while they had their own conversation. They were talking about Sasuke's roommate, Hyuuga Neji, who was Hinata's older cousin.

"He's a bit of a jerk." Hinata told them, "But most of the time he keeps to himself. He sits for hours and obsesses over fate, or something stupid like that."

Sasuke snickered.

"So Hinata," Kiba said with an odd lilt in his voice, "What do you think of Naruto?"

Hinata caught on to his tone of voice immediately. "He's nice, and I like him, but he's not my type, Kiba. You know that."

Kiba shook his head. "I didn't mean for you, Hinata. I meant for our little Sasuke-kun."

Hinata's jaw dropped. "Is Naruto into boys then?"

Kiba smirked. Hinata squealed gleefully and stared at Sasuke. "Oh my god, they would look so cute together!"

Sasuke grunted and glared at his best friend. "Kiba, would you stop that? And since when does Naruto like boys?"

Kiba shrugged. "Actually, I'm not sure he is. But damn, dude, you know you want him."

"I thought I was just looking into it too deep." Hinata said with a frown, "but now that you mention it, I've noticed how Sasuke looks at him."

"Yeah, he's totally into the blond boy."

"How cute!"

"Would you both stop it already!" Sasuke shouted, standing up.

Professor Hatake looked up at him curiously for a moment before shrugging and continuing with his lesson.

Sasuke blushed and sat back down, grumbling about his friends.

"Sasu," Hinata said, "It's obvious that you like him. Why are you arguing?"

"Because I'm not even sure if I like him that way, Hina." Sasuke replied a little too quickly.

"I call bullshit." Kiba declared. "I know you, and I know you like him. And you know you like him too!"

"Damn it, Kiba," Sasuke whined. "Go crawl in a hole and die, will you?"

Kiba grinned in triumph. "So why don't you make a move on him?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Let's just drop this for now, Kiba. We'll talk about it later."

"Not without me there, you won't." Hinata said with a grin.

"You two…" Sasuke muttered, shaking his head and causing his silky black bangs to fall into his eyes.

The bell came to Sasuke's rescue, and he quickly left the room. He sped down the corridor, with Hinata and Kiba following behind. He darted around a corner, smashed into another body, and crashed to the ground with a vehement oath.

"Oh, sorry Sasuke!" Naruto's voice said.

'_Why do you hate me, God?' _Sasuke thought to himself as the blond boy tugged him to his feet.

"Sorry, Naruto." Sasuke said with a grimace. Kiba and Hinata walked past, wide smirks plainly evident on their faces.

Naruto smiled. "It's okay. I should've been watching where I was going."

Sasuke nodded absently, subtly searching desperately for an escape route. His eyes kept darting back to the blond, looking at his firm, lean body, watching the way his lips moved, and thinking about how those lips would feel…

"Sasuke, did you hear me?" Naruto asked.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I spaced out." Sasuke admitted sheepishly. "What did you say?"

Naruto shook his head and laughed. "It's lunch hour. I asked if you wanted to go grab a bite to eat."

"Oh, er, I -" Sasuke floundered about, trying to think of an excuse to not go, but he found himself loosing the battle quickly. Why should he fight it?

"Sure, sounds good to me."

They walked down the hallway, heading to the cafeteria. Along the way, Sasuke listened to Naruto talk about his classes. He told Sasuke that Kiba was asking him weird questions in the art class that they shared, and Sasuke made a mental note to kill his best friend. Maybe he should learn to breath fire, and…

"Sasuke, you're doing it again…"

Sasuke snapped himself out of his stupor, blushing.

"Damn it all, I keep doing that today."

Naruto laughed again and prodded Sasuke in the side.

"Come on, the others are waiting for us."

They walked over to their table and sat down as Kiba and Hinata grinned at the pair of them.

"What's up with Kiba?" Naruto asked in a whisper.

Sasuke simply rolled his eyes and shrugged, playing dumb. He couldn't help but notice that Naruto had seated himself rather close.

"Hello, little brother." A voice said behind them.

"What do you want, Itachi?" Sasuke said from between gritted teeth, not bothering to turn around.

"It's odd that I barely see you," Itachi commented, ignoring his brother's question, "considering that we go to the same school."

"Despite my best efforts to avoid you, you've found me. What do you want?"

Itachi smiled and brushed a lock of hair away from his face.

"Father called." Itachi said, "He said he wants you to phone him some time."

"Why would I do that?" Sasuke asked sharply.

His older brother sighed. "Sasuke, I know that father isn't the best of men, and I know that you've received a lot of ill treatment because our father idolizes me, but I'm not as evil as you think I am."

"You sure about that?" Sasuke questioned. "I'm sure you have horns growing from your forehead."

Itachi growled softly. "The way you carry on, you would swear I was planning to kill our family."

"Leave mom out, but you can have the rest."

By now, the whole table was laughing at the exchange. Itachi swatted the back of Sasuke's head gently and smiled. "I'm not evil, Sasuke-chan."

Sasuke merely grunted and glanced at Naruto, who seemed puzzled.

**A/N: **So there's the first chapter, I hope it's okay.

Sasuke: Okay? How can you not make Itachi a hate-mongering demon?

Rekhyt: He isn't that bad, Sasuke.

Naruto: … I'm confused.

Kiba: That doesn't take much.

Sasuke: Come on, Itachi is EVIL!

Rekhyt: …

Sasuke: …

Rekhyt: …

Sasuke: Asshole.

Leave me a little review, and I'll give you cookies! I promise plenty of Yaoi later in the story!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **

Kiba: Lord Rekhyt owns nothing, and is paying me to disclaim for him because he is lazy.

**Warnings: **Read the previous chapters warnings.

**Chapter 2**

As the semester dragged on, Sasuke and Naruto began spending more and more time together. For Sasuke, this was getting too familiar, because, loath as he was to admit it, he was developing a strong liking for the blond boy.

One Saturday morning, when the sun was still rising, Sasuke was rudely awoken by Kiba jumping on his bed.

"Time to wake up, Sasuke!" The Inuzuka said in a sing-song voice. Sasuke groaned loudly and put a pillow over his face.

"Go away, Kiba."

"Make me, Sasuke."

Sasuke kicked at his friend, but connected with nothing but air.

"You'll have to try harder than that, ya know."

Sasuke removed the pillow and glared at Kiba.

"Why, in the name of all things good, are you in here this early?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "I came to fetch you, we're all going out today."

"We are?" Sasuke asked, his interest peeked.

"Yep. We're going to town for the day."

Sasuke nodded. He looked across the room, seeing a very disgruntled Neji trying to get back to sleep. He stood up, wearing nothing but a pair of silk boxers, and stretched.

Kiba giggled, and the Uchiha raised an eyebrow at him.

"Something funny, Kiba?"

"Oh, nothing, Sasu. I'm just thinking of how much Naruto is going to enjoy seeing you like this once the two of you are together."

Sasuke blushed crimson. "Kiba, no!"

After he had gotten dressed, he followed Kiba downstairs to the college gates, where his entire group of friends had assembled.

"It's about time, Sasuke!" Temari complained.

Sasuke waved her off. "It's barely even seven yet. I have a right to be asleep."

"So where are we headed to first?" Gaara asked.

"This is troublesome…" Shikamaru muttered. "Let's hit the market place."

Kiba nodded eagerly, and they began the walk into town. Naruto was walking beside Sasuke and Hinata, not putting much into the conversation.

"I spoke to your brother yesterday, Sasuke." Hinata said.

Sasuke grunted. "And what did perfect Itachi have to say for himself?"

Hinata frowned. "He really isn't so bad, Sasuke."

"Try living with him." Sasuke replied. Only Kiba agreed that Itachi was a lunatic.

"Well, whatever you say, Sasuke, he's still hot."

Sasuke cringed. "Seriously, Hinata, I do not want to think of my brother as hot."

Hinata shrugged. "At least there's one Uchiha that I can actually chase after."

Sasuke laughed. His friends all knew that he was gay, and all took it well. Except for one friend, but Sasuke didn't like to think about him. At all.

"Why don't you chase after Sasuke then?" Naruto asked with a grin.

"I guess no one's told you yet…" Hinata replied, a thoughtful look crossing her face.

"This isn't the time, Hyuuga." Sasuke said in a dangerous tone.

Hinata nodded, not in the least perturbed by Sasuke's use of her family name. Naruto looked between the two of them in confusion, trying to figure out what they were talking about.

"So Naruto," Hinata said suddenly, "have you seen any girls here that you like yet?"

Naruto considered her question, then shook his head.

"How about boys?"

Naruto's mouth fell open. "No."

Hinata shrugged. "Oh well. It's just a matter of time."

Sasuke caught the double meaning behind her words and scowled in her direction, but she ignored him. When they reached the market, they split into smaller groups. Temari and Shikamaru went off to look at the latest strategy games, while Kiba, Gaara and Hinata were in the food court getting snacks.

Sasuke and Naruto were wandering around aimlessly, looking at nothing in particular. Naruto picked up a small metallic box, engraved with an intricate Japanese design, and inspected it.

"What did Hinata mean when she said no one's told me?" the blond asked in a quiet voice.

Sasuke felt as though the temperature in the room sky-rocketed. His thoughts became jumbled, and he started stuttering.

"Um, well, the thing is…"

Perplexed, Naruto put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

'_Oh God, this isn't helping…'_

"I'm fine." Sasuke said, unable to hide his blush. "It's just, well, controversial."

"Controversial? It can't be that bad."

"Well, you see Naruto…"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Hide me!" Sasuke yelled, ducking past Naruto and into the crowd. He weaved in and out of the people, trying to hide away from Sakura, but to no avail.

"Sasuke!" she said with a smile, "how are you?"

"I'm alright." Sasuke mumbled.

"You know, I haven't seen you much since the semester started. It's almost like you've been avoiding me."

"I wouldn't avoid you, Sakura." Sasuke said, just as Naruto joined them.

"We should get together some time, Sasuke. Maybe go out for lunch or something."

"Yeah, um, sure…"

"I mean, I know that you're gay and all," Sakura prattled on, "but it's not like I'm going to rape you. Well, I'll see you around, Sasuke-kun. I have to go find Ino before your best friend lures her into a dark corner."

Sasuke felt as though the air had been sucked out of the place.

"Yeah… Bye…"

With a wave, Sakura departed, leaving an awkward silence. Sasuke kept his eyes focused on the ground at his feet, not daring to look up.

After several long moments, which seemed to contain an eternity, Naruto spoke.

"Does this place sell books?" he asked in a casual tone.

"Um, yeah. There's a store not far from here."

"Let's head over there."

As they walked, Naruto chattered about his classes again. He seemed to be pretending that nothing had happened.

They walked for several minutes, not saying a word, until Sasuke broke the silence.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Naruto looked at him, stared actually. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again.

"Well?"

"Look, there's the book store."

Naruto darted into the shop, but Sasuke walked right past it, wanting to get away.

Sasuke walked until he couldn't walk anymore. It had been hours, and most of the students had already returned to the school by now, but he didn't want to go back. He had walked to the opposite end of the town, a dead look on his face. Naruto's reaction had been bad, and Sasuke was sure that his blonde friend wouldn't want anything to do with him anymore. He found a fountain in the middle of a large park, surrounded by trees, and decided to rest there. He took off his shoes and socks and put his feet in the cool water, feeling the breeze against his skin. The sun was beginning to set now, staining the sky an orange color. Sasuke sighed deeply and closed his eyes, letting his worries fade away.

"Uchiha! There you are!"

Sasuke cringed. Temari's voice echoed around the park, angry and threatening.

Sasuke didn't turn around or acknowledge her. He simply stared down at his feet. A few moments later, she was next to him. She didn't say anything, but Sasuke sensed movement beside him, and a second later Temari had sat down next to him, bare feet in the water.

"Are you alright, Sasuke?" Temari asked in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

"I suppose I am." Sasuke replied.

"What happened earlier? Naruto said that you suddenly vanished, and he's been going crazy. He was worried that something had happened to you."

"Naruto was worried about me?" Sasuke asked. "Why?"

Temari frowned. "I'm going to go out on a limb here, and say that Naruto was the source of you leaving today."

Sasuke nodded. He sighed, and began telling Temari what happened.

"So he just acted like it didn't happen?" Temari questioned. "What an ass! And I guess he doesn't even know you like him?"

"No, he doesn't – Wait, how did you know that?"

Temari shrugged. "It's kind of obvious, Sasuke."

Sasuke blushed softly. "Well, it turns out that it was pointless. If he freaked out about me being gay, imagine what he'll do when he finds out that I like him."

Temari nodded. "I know. It'll end up like it did with –"

Sasuke growled, cutting her off before she could continue.

"I don't want to talk about _him._"

Temari quickly changed the subject. "Don't let this get to you, Sasuke. There are plenty of other guys out there. Naruto is the one loosing out here."

Sasuke sighed again and kicked the water, splashing it on the grass beside the fountain.

"Let's go back." Temari said. "The others are still looking for you."

Sasuke smirked. "I bet Kiba is going to kill me."

Temari nodded. "Most likely."

They stood up and began walking, but Sasuke's legs felt like lead. There were plenty of other guys out there, but there was only one Naruto. And Naruto was the one that he wanted.

They arrived back at the college as the sun set. Kiba and Shikamaru were waiting at the gates, with fury written all over Kiba's face.

"Sasuke, you have a lot of explaining to do!"

Sasuke's expression became hard. He pushed past Kiba and headed up toward the dorms. He heard Kiba call out angrily, but then Temari seemed to stop him. She would explain everything, and then Kiba could calm down. Sasuke was not in the mood to deal with anyone at this moment. He stormed up the staircase and barged into his room, scaring Neji, but he didn't care.

"Holy shit, Sasuke!" Neji exclaimed, grabbing his heart. "Don't do that!"

Sasuke merely grunted and turned to his bed, intent on sleeping and forgetting about today, but there was a surprise waiting for him there. Naruto was sitting on the bed, looking apprehensive after Sasuke stormed into the room, but there was a determined set to his jaw.

"We need to talk, Sasuke."

Sasuke ignored him and went to the bathroom. He began brushing his teeth, but Naruto followed him.

"I guess I deserve the silent treatment, so I'll just talk and you can listen." Naruto said, leaning against the door frame.

"I don't want to talk." Sasuke said through a mouthful of toothpaste, glaring at the blond boy in the mirror. Naruto pulled a face at him, and a Sasuke felt one corner of his mouth twitch.

"Look, Sasuke, I'm just not used to people like that. I mean, where I come from, being gay is something that isn't spoken about. We all looked down on it."

"So now you look down on me?" Sasuke shot back.

"I didn't say that!" Naruto yelled defensively, "I'm just saying that I don't know how to react to that kind of information. It's all new to me."

Sasuke spat out the toothpaste and rinsed his mouth out. When he stood up, he kept his back to Naruto. "Then I guess you should rather stay away from me." He said quietly. He turned around, walked past Naruto, and left his dorm room. He didn't go to Kiba, since that would be the first place the blond would check. Instead, he went to Hinata's room. This was risky, since Hinata was sharing a room with Sakura this year, but Sasuke didn't care. The tiny Hyuuga girl was listening to music, bobbing her head in time with the tune. She didn't even notice when her room mate let the young Uchiha in.

Sasuke tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.

"Sasuke!" Hinata said, pulling her earphones off, "What're you doing here? If the Dean catches you in a girl's room…"

Sasuke shrugged. "He knows I'm here, I told him I needed to speak to you. Besides, he knows I'm gay, remember?"

Hinata sighed. "That's true. He heard about you and –"

"Olay, Hinata." Sasuke said loudly. "Let's leave it there."

Hinata smiled softly. "Still having trouble thinking about him?" she asked.

"Wouldn't you?" Sasuke countered.

"I suppose I would."

Sakura, sitting on her bed, was sifting her eyes back and forth between the two of them.

"Who are you talking about?" she asked.

"No one." Sasuke replied brusquely. "My ex."

"You had a boyfriend and I didn't know?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke snorted. "I didn't exactly advertise it, you know."

"Change the subject." Hinata said. "What's got you worked up, Sasuke?"

"Naruto." Sasuke muttered. He launched into the story, cutting off Sakura every time she interrupted him.

"You told him what?" Hinata gasped when Sasuke had finished. "Sasuke, _why _did you tell Naruto to stay away from you? That is so stupid."

"It's what he wants." Sasuke grumbled, clearly bristled.

"That isn't going to help you at all, Sasuke. That'll just make it worse."

"Hinata's right." Sakura said. "If you like the boy, then you should keep trying."

"What good will that do, though?" Sasuke asked. "He's a classic homophobe. He wants nothing to do with me."

"You can't know that for sure, Sasuke." Hinata said gently.

Sasuke sighed. "I don't know any more. We'll see what happens."

Hinata and Sakura nodded.

"If he hurts you, let me know." Sakura said. "Then I'll hurt him."

Sasuke laughed. Sakura was a rather good fighter, and one of the top martial arts students.

"Anyway, I'd better go." Sasuke said, standing up. "I need to go find Kiba."

Hinata stood also, letting Sasuke out. As he the corridors of the boy's dormitory, he came face to face with his brother, Itachi.

"Oh great." Sasuke muttered.

Itachi sighed and rolled his eyes. "Hello to you too, Sasuke."

Sasuke grunted. He tried to move past his older brother, but he blocked him.

"I heard a little rumor, brother." Itachi said. "I heard that you like the new guy, Naruto. Is it true?"

Sasuke froze. If Itachi found out about him, and he told their father…

Itachi seemed to be thinking along those lines too.

"If you're worried about father, don't be." Itachi said.

"Why?" Sasuke asked. "You'd be only too happy to run to him."

Itachi laughed. "I wouldn't lead the witch hunt against something I'm guilty of myself. I'm no hypocrite."

"You – you mean you're…"

Itachi chuckled again. "Of course. I'm surprised you never figured it out, little brother."

"Whoa…" Sasuke muttered. "Who's the guy?"

"Sasori." Itachi said proudly. "For two years now."

"Two years? And you never told me?"

"And how long did you not tell me for?" Itachi countered.

"This is, well, wow… I never would have thought that you of all people…"

"That just goes to show you, Sasuke, that you should never judge a book by its cover."

Sasuke nodded. Itachi began to walk past him, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Itachi, can I talk to you? I need some advice."

Itachi looked at him in surprise. "Of course, Sasuke."

They walked out into the courtyard and sat on rough benches. The night air was chilly, and Sasuke had not brought a jersey out with him.

He explained the whole situation with Naruto to his brother, not leaving out any of the details. He explained Naruto's reaction to finding out, and then what he had told the blond. When he was done, Itachi sat silently for a while, thinking.

"I can see the problem." Itachi said quietly. "But then, Sasori was the same at first. He was really homophobic, but in the end I got through to him, hoping to at least keep him as a friend. But I got far more than that."

"So how did you manage that?"

"I just hung out with him, proved that being gay wasn't anything to be ashamed of. I made him see that I was still the same person that I was before I came out to him."

"So that's what I should do with Naruto?"

Itachi nodded.

"I'd better go," he said, "It's getting late."

Sasuke nodded. "Thanks, Itachi. You helped me see things better."

They parted ways, Sasuke heading back to his room. When he got there, Neji was lying on his back and playing around o his cell phone, so Sasuke collapsed on his bed and stared at the roof.

"I don't mean to intrude," Neji said, "But you were a little loud this evening and I heard what you and Naruto were talking about."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I don't see how that's any of your business."

"It's my business when my room mate is a faggot." Neji shot back rudely.

Sasuke's mind went blank. The events of the day had worn him out, and this was the lsat straw. He launched himself across the room, on top of Neji, and began punching every inch of him that he could reach.

When Sasuke entered the cafeteria the next morning for breakfast, everyone fell silent. He froze and stared at the faces looking up at him, wondering what was going on. When no one moved or said a word, Sasuke began to feel his temper getting the better of him again, but in an instant Kiba and Itachi appeared on either side of him, guiding him out of the room swiftly.

"What's going on?" Sasuke demanded.

"Neji." Kiba said simply.

"What about him?"

"Everyone saw what you did to him." Itachi clarified. "There's talk going around of a nasty break up, though Neji is trying to quash the rumor."

Kiba shot Itachi a scathing look, but Sasuke shook his head.

"It's alright, Kiba. He knows."

Kiba looked flabbergasted. "Itachi knows?"

At that point, Itachi's boyfriend came to check what was happening. He was tall, with lightly tanned skin and bright red hair.

"Is everything alright, Itachi?" Sasori asked.

Itachi smiled at him. "Everything's fine, love. I'll be with you in a second."

Sasori nodded and went back into the cafeteria.

"Love?" Kiba chocked out.

"I didn't get a chance to tell you," Sasuke said with an apologetic smile, "but it turns out that Itachi is also gay. Don't give me that look, Kiba, I only found out last night."

Kiba grumbled.

"Anyway, we'd better get you up to the Dean's office. This thing with Neji is going to be epic, so it's best if you go to the Dean and explain what happened before he calls you there."

Sasuke grunted, but decided to not argue. He walked to the Dean's office with his brother and best friend and tapped lightly on the door.

"Enter." Came the Dean's voice.

Sasuke cringed internally and stepped over the threshold.

"Mr. Uchiha," the Dean said, "To what calamity do I owe this visit?"

"Um, I kind of, er, slightly…"

"Spit it out, Uchiha!" The Dean said in exasperation.

"You see, sir," Itachi said, "Sasuke was provoked into a fight last night."

Mr. Sarutobi sighed deeply, his lined face resigned.

"Itachi, Inuzuka, you may leave. I'll discuss this with Sasuke alone."

Kiba shot Sasuke a worried look before departing, leaving Sasuke to fend for himself.

As the door snapped shut behind them, Sasuke sighed.

"Okay, sir, this is what happened…"

**XXXXX**

Rekhyt: Well, there's chapter 2, I hope you like it!

Sasuke: Rekhyt would REALLY appreciate it if you'd review!

Kiba: The faster Rekhyt get's reviews, the sooner he updates!

Sasuke: Which means you'll get to the steamy bits faster!

Rekhyt: … Pervert.

REVIEW TIME!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **

Ino: Lord Rekhyt does not own Naruto, or anything to do with it.

Rekhyt: Thank you, Ino. Now go rot in a hole somewhere…

*Ino runs away crying*

A/N: Thanks to everyone that has reviewed and added this story to their favorites list. This chapter is dedicated to a friend of mine that FINALLY figured out how to use . This one's for you, Tanya!

_**Chapter 3**_

Sasuke sat in the grounds, disgruntled. He had been suspended for a week, starting tomorrow, because of his fight with that damned Hyuuga. On a good note, Neji had been suspended too, for provoking the fight and for discrimination, something that the Dean, Sarutobi, had issues with. Now, alone on a bench under a shady tree, the young Uchiha pondered his dilemma. He could not return home for his suspension, as his father would beat him senseless. He had explained this to the Dean, who had agreed that sending his parents a letter to inform them of what had happened would provoke unnecessary trouble, but the Dean had no choice but to suspend him any way. Now Sasuke had to come up with a plan for that week, but he had a pretty good idea of what he could do.

"Hey Kiba," Sasuke said when he pulled the Inuzuka boy aside between classes. "I need a favor."

"What happened?" Kiba demanded.

"I, er, got suspended…" Sasuke trailed off, hanging his head.

Kiba seemed to understand immediately. "I'll call my mom, she'll pick you up and you can stay at my place for however long you need. You know how she feels about your father."

Sasuke smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I remember. It's just for the week, though."

Kiba nodded, pulling out his phone. The conversation was short, and Kiba was smiling at the end of it.

"She says its fine, and she'll come by tonight and pick you up. It's lucky I live nearby."

Sasuke nodded and thanked Kiba.

"It's not a problem, Sasuke-kun." Kiba said, giving Sasuke a one armed hug. "You're like a brother to me."

Sasuke smiled. "I appreciate that, but you're late for class…"

"Shit!" Kiba yelled, running off immediately. "I'll see you this weekend! We'll all come down!"

Sasuke laughed lightly as he watched Kiba's retreat.

"Where are you going?" a voice asked casually.

"With a gulp of air, Sasuke turned to see Naruto leaning against a locker door.

"I was suspended for the week." Sasuke muttered. "I'm spending the week at Kiba's house."

He began to walk away, but Naruto followed him. "Why aren't you going home?"

Sasuke chuckled darkly. "That would be very bad."

"Why?"

"Don't you have class now?"

Naruto shook his head. "Nope. I have a free period."

"That's great and all," Sasuke told him, "but I have to go pack my clothes."

He walked, but after a few steps he noticed that Naruto was still following him.

"Are you stalking me now?" He asked with a baleful smirk.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Not at all. I happen to be heading to my room, which is right next to yours. Believe me, I wouldn't want to force my presence on you."

"Yeah?" Sasuke snapped back, "Well fuck you too then."

He stormed off in the other direction, back toward the doors and into the open air, where the blond would not be.

He already felt guilty at his outburst. Naruto had just caught him at the wrong moment. He quickly turned and ran back inside, catching up to Naruto as he reached his bedroom door.

"Naruto!" he called out. Naruto looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I'm sorry. You just caught me at the wrong time and I kinda took it out on you."

"You don't say…" Naruto drawled, but there was a slight smile on his face.

"I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that. Anyway, I'd better go get packed before Kiba's mom gets here. See you around."

He waved, as did Naruto, and went into his silent, empty room.

With a deep sigh, he began throwing clothing in his bag.

Two days had passed, and Sasuke was lying on Kiba's bed, listening to music and staring up at the roof. He was in heaven, not having to worry about school or anything else important, though he was giving a lot of thought to his brother.

Itachi had always been Fugaku's favorite child, and this had caused bitterness between the siblings. Even after his discovery of Itachi being gay, and the fact that Sasuke had confessed something like his problem with Naruto, he still found it difficult to like or trusty his brother. He passed off their hallmark moment of trading confidences as nothing more than desperation, a need to talk to someone, anyone. It wouldn't happen again. Even though it wasn't Itachi's fault that Fugaku beat him, Itachi had never tried to stop him, had never tried to help Sasuke in any way, and that wasn't something easily forgiven.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out and looked at the screen. Hinata's name flashed across the screen.

"Hey Hinata." Sasuke said as he answered.

"Hello, Sasuke." Hinata replied. "Enjoying your vacation?"

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, kind of. How school?"

"The usual." Hinata's voice responded. "A bunch of us are coming down to Kiba's for the weekend. So we can go out or something."

"Sounds great." Sasuke replied with a smile.

"And there's something we have to talk about."

Sasuke's interest perked. "Oh?"

"Not now." Hinata replied darkly. "I have company. I'd better go. See you."

The line went dead, and Sasuke swore softly. He hated unsatisfied curiosity.

"Mind your language." Kiba's mother said with a smile, entering the room.

"Sorry, Mrs. Inuzuka."

"Sasuke, we've been over this. Call me Tsume, or I'll feed you boiled hay for the rest of the week."

Sasuke laughed. "Got it."

"Dinner is ready." Tsume told him. "Be sure to wash up, okay?"

"Of course." Sasuke replied with a genuine smile. Tsume was like a proper parent to him. Not that his mother was bad, but he couldn't connect with any of the Uchiha's.

His thoughts turned to Naruto as he silently ate his dinner. Loathe as he was to admit it, Itachi was right about one thing. Ostracizing the blond would not help at all. What he needed was for Naruto to see that he wasn't any different because he was gay. It was just something that he was. Like being tall or having freckles. It didn't make him any different.

"You seem lost in thought." Tsume commented, looking at him curiously. Hana, Kiba's older sister, snickered.

"He's probably thinking about some boy." She said with a smirk.

Sasuke scowled at her. "Hana, could we not talk about my love life?"

Hana squealed. "So there is a boy? Tell me everything!"

Sasuke sighed. "No, Hana. I most certainly will not tell you a thing."

Hana pouted, and Tsume laughed. "Hana, will you never learn? This little Uchiha doesn't open up that easily. Except to Kiba."

Sasuke laughed. "That's right."

Hana stuck out her tongue at him and continued eating.

The weekend came at long last, and Tsume went to the college to collect Kiba and a few of their friends. When Tsume's minivan rolled into the driveway, Sasuke couldn't help but feel excited. Kiba, Hinata, and Temari climbed out, followed by Gaara and then, to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto.

"Hey guys." Sasuke said uncertainly, suddenly apprehensive.

"Sasuke-kun!" Kiba yelled, tackling Sasuke to the ground and nuzzling into his neck. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too, Kiba." Sasuke said, struggling to push his best friend off of him. "But I can't breathe, so get off."

Kiba jumped off of him with a smile, and Tsume's laughter sounded as she entered the house.

"He never changes." She muttered.

Hinata ran over and gave Sasuke a hug. "I missed you too."

"I didn't doubt it." Sasuke said with a grin.

"Mind if I don't hug you?" Temari asked with a smirk. "I wouldn't want to catch anything.

Sasuke flashed her his middle finger, but grinned. "That's okay, Temari-chan. I don't know where you've been lately anyway."

Naruto waved nervously from next to Gaara, who was rolling his eyes at his sister.

"Hello, Sasuke." The blond said.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Let's go eat something!" Kiba said enthusiastically.

"I just ate thanks." Sasuke said.

The others filed past him into the house, leaving him outside alone.

"Mind if I join you?" Temari asked.

"Aren't you hungry?" Sasuke asked her.

"Not anymore," she replied with a roll of her eyes. "Kiba started throwing ketchup around, so I decided it was better to leave."

Sasuke laughed softly.

"What's on your mind?" the blonde girl asked.

"Nothing, really." Sasuke replied honestly. "Just thinking about Naruto being here."

Temari nodded. "I thought as much. So what about it?"

"Just something that defective brother of mine said." Sasuke said, slipping back into his usual way of talking about his brother. "He said I should prove to Naruto that I'm not any different, now that he knows I'm gay."

Temari nodded again. "That sounds reasonable."

They sat and spoke to each other outside for a while before Kiba, declaring that he felt unloved, dragged them back into the house.

That night, the boys were all camped out in Kiba's room, while the girls were sleeping in Hana's room. Sasuke stared out of the window at the night sky, watching as the stars burned millions of miles away like glimmering diamonds. Long after everyone else had fallen asleep, Sasuke went to go to the bathroom. As he left it again, however, he saw two silhouettes in the darkness.

He crept closer stealthily, wondering who was wandering around at this hour…

Hinata had left Temari for a few moments, needing to go to the bathroom, but as she stepped into the hallway she had come face to face with Naruto.

"What are you doing awake?" Hinata asked.

"I wanted to talk to you." Naruto said, sounding a little troubled. Immediately, Hinata softened her defensive pose.

"What do you need?"

Naruto leaned casually against the wall, blocking Hinata's path.

"Naruto, wh – what are y – you doing?"

Naruto leaned forwards, closing the distance between them…

Sasuke froze in place. Naruto was pressed up against someone, their faces connected at the lips. Sasuke peered closer and caught sight of Hinata's blue-black hair.

Hinata was one of his best friends… How could she?!

A small growl escaped from Sasuke's throat, and he quickly spun around and left the scene, heading back to Kiba's bedroom. Half formed ideas spun around his head, most of them involving hurting Naruto in one way or another.

Naruto leaned forward, pressing his lips to Hinata's. For a moment, Hinata was too shocked to move. Then, her mind kicked in again. She pushed Naruto hard against the wall, slamming one tiny fist into his stomach, then ran.

The next morning Sasuke woke up early. He quietly slipped out the back door and into the yard, where he sat behind a large tree, staring at the sky. It was a calming habit, one he had picked up from Shikamaru. He would sit for hours, just staring at the clouds. When Sasuke had asked why he did it, Shikamaru had simply told him that it was relaxing, and that doing anything else would be too troublesome.

As time passed, the cloud cover became thicker and darker, threatening to rain. Sasuke stared blankly up at the sky, not really seeing it anymore. All he saw was Naruto's face. They had no history together, no past to speak of, but inside his heart, Sasuke knew that he belonged with Naruto. Every fiber of him longed to be near the blond boy, to love him. It felt like destiny.

As the first raindrops caressed his face, Sasuke heard the back door bang open and Kiba's angry voice.

Sasuke peered around his tree. Standing by the back door were Kiba, Naruto, and Hinata, with Naruto facing the other two in a defensive posture.

"What the hell did you think you were doing, Naruto?" Kiba growled.

Naruto shrugged. "I like Hinata. I thought I might as well see if she liked me back."

Hinata gave a sarcastic laugh. "You could have asked me. It would have kept me from punching you."

So Hinata wasn't kissing Naruto? This made Sasuke feel better. He couldn't bear the thought of Hinata betraying him.

"You hit like a girl." Naruto scoffed. "It didn't hurt."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you." Hinata said in a dangerous tone. "I was merely expressing my feelings on the matter."

Kiba shook his head angrily. "We're getting off track here. Naruto, how could you do that to Sasuke?"

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked. His nose wrinkled a little as he thought. "What about him?"

Kiba let out a yell of frustration. "Naruto, are you completely blind? Sasuke likes you! It's obvious that he does!"

Naruto took an involuntary step back.

"N – no he doesn't! I know he's gay, and I really don't mind at all, but him liking me? I don't believe you."

Hinata smiled softly. "Naruto, it's not a joke. Sasuke really likes you. He didn't tell you because he didn't want you to freak out and treat him differently."

"You should take it as a compliment." Kiba added. "Sasuke's a very picky guy, so if he likes you than you must really be something special."

Naruto blushed, his cheeks going a cherry pink color. "That's, um, well, thanks."

"So do you like him?" Hinata pressed immediately.

"Um, I –"

"I've seen you looking at him." Kiba stated confidently. "And you always get shy and sweet around him."

"I- I do?" Naruto asked meekly, "I don't even know if –"

"So you do like him!" Hinata said triumphantly.

"But I –"

"Then why did he kiss you last night?" Kiba asked Hinata, looking confused.

Hinata shrugged. "He was confused, that's all. Being bi or gay or whatever isn't easy at first. Remember how Sasuke was at first?"

Kiba nodded. "True."

Naruto was slowly turning blue. He was choking and spluttering incoherently, trying to get a word in edgeways. Finally, he managed to choke out something.

"Can I go inside now?"

Kiba nodded. "Sure thing, Naruto. And don't worry, we won't tell Sasuke you like him."

Naruto looked like he wanted to say something, but decided against it. Instead, he ducked into the refuge of the house.

"He so likes Sasuke." Kiba stated.

"I think so too." Hinata agreed.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. His friends could be an inconvenience at times.

"You two put on a rather impressive show there." Sasuke drawled nonchalantly, stepping into view.

Hinata instantly looked guilty, but Kiba looked pleased with himself.

"Oh good. Now you already know, and we didn't even have to tell you."

Sasuke sighed and passed a weary hand in front of his face. "You guys are impossible. He didn't admit to anything."

"He didn't have to admit it." Hinata stated. "It's so obvious, Sasu-kun."

Sasuke folded his arms over his well muscled chest. "I'm not buying it, guys."

Kiba smirked broadly at him. "You're going to see, Sasuke. He likes you. And you two _will _be together eventually."  
Sasuke rolled his eyes again. "Whatever, Kiba. He didn't say he likes me."

"He didn't say he doesn't like you either…" Hinata pointed out.

"Okay. Fine." Sasuke said in deadpan. "I'm going inside. See you guys later."

And with that, he walked into the house, trying to find Temari. She was the voice of reason in most cases.

On Monday morning they returned to college, and had an announcement that they had been dreading for weeks.

Sasuke was sitting between Kiba and Hinata for first period English, when Professor Hatake came in and cleared his throat.

"As you all know," he said in a bored tone, "your midterms start in two weeks. I trust you've all started to revise."

"Oh, man!" Kiba moaned. "I thought midterms weren't for another month or so!"

Hinata stifled a laugh. "I told you about the midterms over the weekend, Kiba."

Kiba shrugged. "I wasn't listening."

Sasuke giggled. "Kiba, you're impossible. It's a wonder you even passed last year."

Kiba scowled, but then smirked slyly. "I guess so. But we'll see what happens once you and Naruto are spending every night ravishing each other instead of studying."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Leave it to Kiba to bring that up again.

"Kiba –"

Hinata nudged Sasuke in the ribs, and he looked up to see Professor Hatake staring at him.

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class, Mr. Uchiha?"

Sasuke growled softly. "No, that's alright Professor. I was just trying to get Kiba to shut up."

Mr. Hatake glanced over at Kiba and shrugged. "Kiba always talks, Sasuke. You should know that by now."

Kiba laughed as Sasuke stared at the Professor in shock.

"That is so unfair." Sasuke muttered.

He raised his hand into the air to get the professor's attention.

"May I be excused?" he asked. "I need to go see the Dean."

Hatake Kakashi shrugged. "It's not like I actually care. You may go."

Sasuke packed his things and left, heading to the Dean's office. On the way, he saw a familiar mop of spiky blond hair, and silently prayed that he wouldn't notice him, but it was in vain.

"Oh, hey Sasuke." Naruto said nervously.

"Hey Naruto." Sasuke replied. "Where're you headed?"

"Dean's office." Naruto said, looking confused. "I don't know why, but he called me up there."

Sasuke looked surprised. "You haven't gotten into trouble, have you?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not that I know of."

Sasuke shrugged. "Well, that's where I'm heading too. We can walk together."

Naruto nodded. For a few minutes, there was silence, until Naruto spoke again.

"Is Kiba an observant person?" he asked, sounding timid and afraid. It made Sasuke want to hold him and comfort him.

"Most of the time." He replied. "He tends to be a little too observant. And he's seldomly wrong about it. He's good at reading people."

Naruto gulped and began to fidget.

Sasuke immediately began to wonder what was on Naruto's mind. Was it the conversation he had with Kiba and Hinata? Was it something else? Wait… Could Kiba have been right all along?

They arrived at the Dean's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter." Sarutobi's grave voice said from the other side. They stepped in, and saw Sarutobi seated behind his desk, and Neji sitting in front of him with his arms crossed.

"Ah, good. I was hoping to have you both here." The Dean said.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked.

"Well, Sasuke, after what happened with you and Neji, I can't expect the two of you to continue sharing a room, so I've come up with new arrangements."

He cleared his throat. "I wanted to put you with one of your friends, someone that understands you. I would die before I allow you and Mr. Inuzuka to share a room after what happened last year, so I'm switching Mr. Hyuuga with Mr. Uzumaki. He will be your new room mate."

"_SCORE!" _Sasuke's mind yelled in delight.

"I'm going to room with Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

"Yes. And Mr. Hyuuga will be moving into the room where you are currently, with your friend Lee."

Naruto nodded, gulping slightly.

As Sasuke went back to class (Neji had returned to their room to pack, and Naruto was doing the same), he couldn't help but feel elated. Having Naruto in his room would be the perfect way to convince the blond that gay wasn't bad. And judging by Naruto's nervousness, particularly after the conversation with Kiba, it seemed that he was starting to wonder if he did in fact have feelings for Sasuke.

"This is brilliant." He muttered.

He walked down a hallway, smiling to himself, when he came across Itachi.

"Little brother." Itachi said coldly, not looking at him.

"Fuck off, Satan." Sasuke replied. It was good to know that their relationship hadn't changed much.

"Go to hell, Sasuke." Itachi growled.

"You first, baby." Sasuke said with a wink. Itachi scowled and stalked off.

Sasuke opened the door to his class, muttered a brief apology to Professor Hatake, and took his seat. He could barely contain his excitement. Naruto in his room? Alone with him? Perfect…

_**XXX**_

A/N: Sorry that this took longer than expected, I've been REALLY busy. Remember, the more reviews I get, the more I'll write! Would it be bad to ask for 15 new reviews? If I get 15, the next chapter will be longer, and there'll be a steamy scene too! And feel free to make some suggestions for what you would like to see happen in later chapters! I love to hear what you want to see!

Sasuke: He's desperate for reviews.

Kiba: That he is…

Rekhyt: … You guys are mean…


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **

Sasuke: Lord Rekhyt does not own Naruto. All he owns is a severely perverted mind and a love of kittens.

**Warning: **Lemon,language, and possible character bashing

_**Chapter 4**_

The rest of the day seemed kind of blurry. Sasuke fidgeted restlessly, during his classes, and barely paid attention. When the second last period came, Chemistry, he sat with Kiba and Temari, who kept bombarding him with awkward questions.

"What are you so jittery about?" Kiba asked.

"Nothing." Sasuke replied.

"Sasuke, don't bullshit us." Temari said, "We can tell that something's up."

They would find out eventually anyway, since Kiba spent a lot of his time in Sasuke's room, but Sasuke knew that if he told him Kiba would immediately go into full pervert mode. But keeping it from him could make it worse, like if he found out and started asking questions while Naruto was in the room.

"Well," Sasuke said after a deep breath, "after the fight with that damn Hyuuga, the Dean insisted that I change room mates. Neji was moved out of my room, and I got a new one."

"Is he cute?" Kiba asked immediately, grinning.

"Yeah, he is." Sasuke answered truthfully.

"Is he gay?" Temari questioned.

"I'm not sure." Sasuke replied.

"Is his name Naruto?" Kiba asked with a lazy smile.

"How did you –"

"Oh, come now, Sasu. You should know by now that I know all."

"Wait," Temari interrupted. "So Naruto is your new room mate? No wonder you're so hyped up!"

"I'm not hyped up." Sasuke mumbled.

"Sasuke," Kiba said evenly, "you look like a five year old that just ate twenty Snickers bars and a packet of sugar. I'd offer you Ritalin if I thought it would help."

Temari giggled as Sasuke's cheeks burned crimson.

The questioning continued, with some of them making Sasuke either blush fiercely or gag, but eventually the bell rang, signaling a change of classes.

"What do you guys have next?" Kiba asked.

"I have Physics." Temari said with a slight shudder.

"World History." Sasuke replied with a grimace.

Kiba chuckled evilly. "Say hello to Naruto for me, Sasuke."

Sasuke stalked off with his bag, muttering expletives about his nosey friends. He winded his way amongst the other students, arriving at his class a few minutes early. He unpacked his books and sat down, staring blankly out of the window.

"Hey, Sasuke." A voice said next to him. Turning, he looked straight into Naruto's blue eyes.

"Listen," the blond said as he sat down, "about me rooming with you. I hope it's not going to be a problem for you."

'_Problem?' _Sasuke thought, _'I'm over the moon about it!'_

Sasuke smiled. "It's not a problem at all, Naruto. I prefer to room with a friend. I would have killed Neji if he stayed."

Naruto laughed. "Cool. So we're good, right?"

Sasuke looked puzzled. "Of course we are. Why would you ask?"

Naruto looked down at his desk.

"I, er, heard some things from Kiba…"

Sasuke went cold. He was going to do this _now?_

"What things?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly.

Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it again. He took a deep, steadying breath, and tried to speak again, but at that moment Professor Yuhi came in.

"Pop quiz, people!" she called out, dealing out tests amongst her students.

"We'll talk about it later." Naruto said with a faint blush.

Sasuke nodded imperceptibly. He knew exactly what Kiba had told Naruto, and if Naruto confronted him about it he didn't know whether he should lie or tell the truth.

If he lied about it, it would destroy all chances of them ever getting together. But if he told the truth, he might frighten or disgust his friend and loose him completely.

But how would he tell him the truth? That would be an awkward conversation…

'_Yes, Naruto, I like you and would like to tie you to the bed and fuck you senseless…'_

Somehow, Sasuke didn't think that would go down too well with the Uzumaki.

He spaced out as he finished his test, staring out of the window again and dwelling on the awkwardness that was sure to come that evening. He barely even noticed when Professor Yuhi collected his paper.

"Want to get some dinner?" Naruto asked nonchalantly.

Sasuke merely nodded distractedly.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-kun?" Naruto asked with a worried pout, putting his arm around Sasuke's shoulders.

'_Just leave your arm there and I'll be fine…' _he thought.

"I'm fine, Naruto. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Midterms?" the blond questioned.

"Yeah, the midterms." Sasuke said almost gratefully, latching on to that excuse.

They were walking together toward the cafeteria, when suddenly Sasuke let out a squeal and vanished through the nearest open door.

Naruto looked around in confusion, but he had a pretty good idea as to why Sasuke had run off. And sure enough…

"Hey Naruto."

"Hello, Sakura." He said with a barely concealed grin. The girl was clueless.

"Have you seen Sasuke around?"

Naruto feigned a glance around the halls. "Nope, sorry. You might want to check outside, I think he said something about going there earlier."

Sakura nodded and stalked off.

"She's gone." Naruto called out, laughing openly now.

"Thank God…" Sasuke said as he exited an empty classroom. "I'm getting tired of hiding from her."

The continued their walk, and entered the cafeteria just as the weather outside broke into a light downpour.

Sitting at their usual table along with Gaara and Hinata, Sasuke chanced a glance around the room. In one corner, Kiba was busy flirting with Ino, again. In another, Itachi was holding the attention of his assorted fanatics. And off toward the doors…

"Oh, fuck!" Sasuke muttered.

"What?" Naruto asked, but Hinata had seen where Sasuke was looking, and immediately grabbed his arm and began to steer him from the room.

"Breath, Sasuke." She murmured in a low voice. "I'll get you out of here."

"What is he doing back here?" Sasuke asked in a strangled tone.

Hinata shook her head. "I don't know. I thought he was expelled."

Behind them, there were heavy footsteps.

"Oh God…" Sasuke muttered, knowing full well who it was.

"Hey, Sasuke…" a voice chimed. It was mocking and vindictive, the kind of voice that would send chills across your body.

"Fuck off." Hinata sniped loudly, turning to face the speaker.

Sasuke turned, and looked into Hidan's cherry colored eyes.

"What do you want?" he gritted out from between clenched teeth.

Hidan gave a cocky grin and swaggered forward, brushing past Hinata with an almost inaudible growl escaping his throat.

"Just wanted to see my old flame." He said mockingly, pulling his long fingers through a lock of Sasuke's hair.

"Who says I want to see you?" Sasuke bit back, taking a step away from him. He could faintly smell alcohol on the man's breath.

"My, my," Hidan commented with a smirk, "I see you still can't control that tongue of yours. But then, who am I to complain?"

Hinata stepped in between them, facing Hidan.

"Get out of here." She spat out. "Sasuke doesn't want to see you. And what the fuck are you doing here, anyway? You were expelled!"

Hidan's look turned to icy indifference.

"I was readmitted." He said. "A few anger management courses, a bit of community service, and the courts said I was good to continue studying."

Sasuke grabbed Hinata's arm.

"Let's go." He snarled, leading her back toward the cafeteria.

"You can't avoid me forever, Sasuke-chan." Hidan called after them.

They walked right passed their table, out the doors, and out into the grounds. They sat on a bench in silence, with the light rain dampening their hair and clothes, while Sasuke tried to regain control of himself.

"What did you ever see in him?" Hinata asked quietly.

"He was beautiful." Sasuke answered in the same quiet breath. "He was charming. He had me from the start."

"And when he started abusing you?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "I tried to get out. As you know, I took the first opportunity that I could to escape. After he was expelled, I thought I wouldn't have to deal with him again."

Hinata nodded, resting her head on his shoulder comfortingly.

Naruto came sprinting out to them, looking panicked.

"Sasuke!" he called, worry etched onto his normally cheerful face, "Are you okay? You looked really upset."

Sasuke gave a weak smile and nodded. "I'm sorry about that. I'm fine now."

Naruto nodded, not looking convinced.

"Let's go eat." Sasuke suggested, helping Hinata to her feet and ruffling Naruto's hair in an affectionate manner. He hoped that the gesture wouldn't be taken badly, but it seemed that Naruto enjoyed it, even closing his eyes and smiling at Sasuke's touch.

Maybe Kiba was on to something after all…

"Sasuke!" a voice called as they walked down the corridor when classes were done for the day. Sasuke turned at the sound of his name, seeing Kiba weaving in and out of the crowd toward him.

"Party in my room tonight." He said when he reached them.

"I don't know, Kiba." Sasuke said dubiously. "I have to start studying for midterms."

Kiba, of course, would hear nothing of that.

"Please, Sasuke-kun…" Kiba wheedled. He nuzzled against Sasuke and started trailing kisses down his jaw and running his fingers over his abdomen.

"Kiba, get off." Sasuke said, rolling his eyes.

"Please, baby?" Kiba begged.

"Fine!" Sasuke shouted, pushing his best friend off of him. "I'll be there."

Kiba smiled.

"How about you, Naruto?"

Naruto had been eyeing Kiba menacingly as he worked his charms on Sasuke. Now, with the attention on him, he became worried.

"I'll be there, Kiba." He said, backing up a few inches.

Kiba laughed. "Great. I'll see you at six then. Sasuke, don't forget that we have something to do later. Don't be late or I'll hunt you down."

Sasuke nodded. As Kiba vanished back into the crowd, the Uchiha sighed.  
"You'd think I would have learned by now." He said to himself.

"Can't be so bad if you keep letting him do that." Naruto commented, and his tone was slightly harsh.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sasuke asked with an arched brow. "That's how Kiba is. You've seen him do it to me, Gaara, Temari, and even Shikamaru on occasion. The only person it doesn't work on is Hinata."

"Why not?"

Sasuke shrugged. "The first time he tried it, she got a fright and kneed him in the balls. Since then, every time he does it she bursts out laughing."

Naruto chuckled. They rounded a corner and started up the staircase.

"What are you and Kiba doing later?"

"Oh, that. Kiba and I are on the swim team. The season is going to start soon, so we need to start practicing."

Naruto smirked. "I'll bet I know why you're on the swim team."

"Why?"

Naruto's smirk became a grin. "So you can stare at the guys in their tight costumes."

Sasuke laughed loudly. He was shocked that the blond would be comfortable enough to make that kind of joke.

"Not really." Sasuke replied. "Actually, I'm a rather good swimmer. But I must admit its fun to watch the guys too."

Naruto chuckled.

They walked into their room and Sasuke quickly retrieved his swimming costume.

"Mind if I tag along?" Naruto asked suddenly.

"Um, sure." Sasuke replied. "But you'll probably just get bored and drown Kiba."

With a shared laugh, they headed to the pool.

"Hey Sasuke!" Kiba said when they arrived. "And Naruto too! Hey man!"

Naruto nodded in greeting and went off to sit on the bleachers. Sasuke and Kiba went to the changing rooms and began to undress.

"Looks like someone wants to see you in a tight speedo." Kiba commented with a grin.

"Sure, Kiba." Sasuke drawled, rolling his eyes. "What ever helps you sleep at night."

"That would be Ino, sometimes." Kiba said, laughing.

"Urgh, Kiba, over-share dude. I don't need visuals of a hetero relationship."

Kiba laughed harder. "Well, when it's not Ino, it's my sleeping pills. You really ought to try some."

Sasuke chuckled lightly. They left the changing rooms and headed toward the pool.

After a few laps, Kiba began to moan about being hungry, so they decided it was time to go.

Sasuke swam to where he was closer to the bleachers and held a hand out to Naruto.

"Help me out, please." He requested.

"You aren't going to pull me in, are you?" Naruto said suspiciously.

"No," Sasuke replied, "because I have to share a room with you, and you'd get revenge."

Naruto walked to the water's edge and gripped Sasuke's wrist, helping him to hoist himself out of the water.

Was it just Sasuke's imagination, or had Naruto's eyes lingered on the large pouch of his crotch a little longer than necessary?

"Thanks." Sasuke muttered, feeling the beginnings of a blush. He hurried into the changing room and pulled on dry clothes before joining Kiba and Naruto.

"Well, I'm off to get some food." Kiba stated. "You kids behave."

Sasuke gave him an affectionate slap on the back, and walked back to the room with Naruto. They changed into something more appropriate, and headed to Kiba's room a short while later for his party. It turned out that it was a small gathering, just their group of friends, and it didn't last all that long in the end. After they had all gotten tired and bade farewell to each other, Sasuke headed back to his room with Naruto. They changed quickly into pajamas, and switched the lights off.

"You were right." Naruto said as they flopped down on their beds, "You are a good swimmer."

"Thanks." Sasuke said, stretching out with a lazy yawn. There were a few quiet moments.

"Kiba kept glancing at me though." Naruto said suddenly.

"I'm sure he was just wondering why you'd waste time watching us swim."

Now, their earlier conversation came back, making the air stale between them.

"So, um, about earlier…" Naruto said clumsily.

"Earlier?" Sasuke asked, playing dumb.

"Yeah. Um, Kiba was talking to me, while we were at his house. He said some things to me…"

"What kind of things?" Sasuke asked, knowing full well what Naruto was referring too.

"He said, well, he said that you like me. Like, more than a friend…"

Sasuke sighed. What to say now…

"Is it true, Sasuke?"

Sasuke turned on his bed and looked straight at Naruto's silhouette, which was staring right at him.

He averted his gaze and fell back against his pillows, staring at the roof.

"Yeah. It's true."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Naruto questioned quietly.

Sasuke took a moment to reply. It was explanation time, which would be followed by Naruto freaking out.

"Firstly, I wasn't sure in the beginning. Then, you kind of got upset when you found out I was gay, so I didn't want to tell you, which brings us to the third, and most important reason."

He took a deep breath before continuing. "The real reason for not telling you, more important than anything else, is that I didn't want you to get upset and loose our friendship."

Naruto was quiet, contemplative. For nearly ten minutes, he said nothing.

"I – I'm not sure how I feel about it." He finally said.

"Why?" Sasuke asked bluntly.

Naruto started stuttering, much like Hinata did when she was under pressure.

"It's flattering, you know, but at the same time it kind of creeps me out. I mean, we're sharing a room, and we share a bathroom. If I want to walk around without a shirt, I'll always be thinking that you're checking me out."

"And that's bad?" Sasuke asked quietly. "You're good looking. Is it so wrong for me to look? Would it really be any different than if it was a girl watching you?"

"No, I guess not…" Naruto said slowly.

"And it's not like I'll do anything inappropriate." Sasuke continued. "You know I'm not like that."

"That's true."

There were a few more minutes of silence.

"Naruto, I was there, when Kiba said those things to you." Sasuke said finally. "I was sitting behind a tree when you guys came outside."

"Oh…" Naruto said stupidly, obviously nervous.

"He also said that you like me. I've seen you watch me. You get nervous sometimes, when I touch you in any way. And yet you still seem to like it at the same time. You even get jealous of Kiba…"

"I do not get jealous of Kiba." Naruto said, perplexed. It was funny that he chose that to defend.

"Okay. But you still seem to react to me in a non platonic way… Why do you do that if you're straight?"

Naruto gave an audible gulp.

"Because maybe I'm not…" he whispered, almost too quietly for Sasuke to hear. "Maybe I do like you too, but I'm not sure. It might just be a phase. Maybe I'm just reacting to the way that you look at me, not that there's anything wrong with you doing that. I kind of, er, like the attention."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile to himself.

Naruto didn't really admit to anything, but he said he liked the attention that Sasuke gave him. Maybe that was enough, at least for now.

"Alright, Naruto. I won't push or pry. And I won't do anything to make you uncomfortable."

"Thank you, Sasuke." He whispered, on the edge of sleep.

"Good night. Sleep well."

The next few days were filled with a buzz about the midterms. They were drawing closer and, the students at the college were preparing for long hours of studying. With he exception of a few students, like Kiba, they were bunking down and ignoring their social lives for the time being.

Sasuke was sitting by the desk in his room, which faced the window, burying his nose into his Chemistry book, which was his first exam.

He was grumbling under his breath, trying to make sense of the work, when Naruto came in, looking haggard.

"I hate exams." He said in annoyance. "I don't understand any of this."

Sasuke pushed his chair away from the desk and leaned back, watching Naruto.

"What's the subject?" Sasuke asked.

"Economics." Naruto said with a shudder. "And it's a complete nightmare."

Sasuke closed his book and beckoned the blond over.

"I'd rather deal with your economics than my chemistry. Let me see if I can help you out."

Naruto sat next to him, pulling out a book.

"It's this over here." He said, frustrated. Sasuke bent closer to the book, and he caught Naruto's scent as he leaned closer.

"You smell nice." He said before he could stop himself.

Naruto blushed. "Thanks."

Sasuke stared into Naruto's bright blue eyes, loosing himself in them. He tilted his head forward unconsciously, and Naruto parted his lips in an appealing manner.

Without another thought, Sasuke closed the gap and pressed their lips together in a firm kiss…

_**XXX**_

A/N: So, there's another chapter for you. I hope you enjoyed it. Cliffy? Me likes.

Sasuke: *grinning*

Kiba: I'm guessing that Sasuke enjoyed that a lot.

Naruto: Ya think?

Rekhyt: And you didn't?

Naruto: *blush*

Sasuke: Please leave us a review! The more reviews we get, the sooner the next chapter comes up!

Rekhyt: Go on, push the green button…


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto! I do not own a penguin or a passport either, in case you were wondering.

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boyXboy) and bad language. If you don't like it, then don't read it. This chapter contains some lemon!!!

A/N: Thanks for all of the review and favorites! It means a lot to me guys! That being said, read on and enjoy!

_**Chapter 5**_

Sasuke stared into Naruto's bright blue eyes, loosing himself in them. He tilted his head forward unconsciously, and Naruto parted his lips in an appealing manner.

Without another thought, Sasuke closed the gap and pressed their lips together in a firm kiss…

It was better than Sasuke had imagined it. Naruto's lips were soft and supple, and molded perfectly to his own, and it wasn't one sided either. Naruto gripped the front of Sasuke's shirt, pulling him in closely until their bodies were pressed against tightly against each other.

The reality of the situation hit Sasuke when a small moan escaped from between Naruto's lips. He wondered whether he should pull away and apologize, or deepen the kiss, but just as he was about to put some distance between them Naruto opened his mouth slightly, allowing Sasuke's tongue to slide in and explore it freely.

Sasuke lost track of time, but it must have been only seconds before they both pulled away, blushing to the roots of their hair.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke mumbled, turning away to look out the window.

"It's okay." Naruto replied quietly. "Um, I've got to…"

Sasuke nodded, understanding. Naruto quickly stood up, and the door closed behind him with a barely audible sound a few seconds later.

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh. It was just his luck that he would accidentally kiss Naruto and make him freak out.

He gave another, softer sigh. He could still taste Naruto on his lips and tongue, and he was sporting a throbbing hard-on.

"Damn it." Sasuke muttered, rolling his eyes at himself. That problem wasn't going to solve itself.

Sasuke slid his hand into his pants, under his boxers, and wrapped his hand around his erection, rubbing it firmly. A moan escaped his mouth, and he began pumping harder, thinking about the feel of Naruto's lips. He imagined those lips trailing down his body slowly, licking at his nipples. The kisses continued lower, down to Sasuke's navel, then across over each hip, biting softly. Then, with agonizing slowness, his lips travelled down to the grand prize, kissing the head of his penis.

"Oh my God." Sasuke ground out as he came inside his jeans, filling them with his sticky fluids. He sat there, panting, until he finally regained his senses.

"Fuck." Sasuke said, feeling the wetness in his pants. He stood up, grabbed a towel, and walked over to the bathroom, needing a good shower.

Sasuke sat in the room, waiting for Naruto to come back, but when it got to ten at night, Sasuke started to worry. He began pacing back and forth, running his fingers through his hand distractedly. He muttered expletives repeatedly under his breath.

"God damn it, Naruto." Sasuke growled, feeling nervous. "Fuck it, come back already…"

He pulled out his cell phone, intending to call Kiba, but it rang before he could hit the second digit.

"Kiba…" Sasuke mused, looking at the name blinking up at him.

"Hey Kiba." Sasuke muttered, answering the call. "Funny, I was about to call you."

"Hey Sasu." Kiba replied, sounding disgruntled. "What did you do to Naruto? I found him wandering around the corridors, muttering about not going back to his room. When I asked what happened he didn't want to tell me."

"Um, I kissed him." Sasuke mumbled quickly. "But never mind that. Where's Naruto now?"

"I left him with Gaara for a minute to call you." Kiba answered. "What do you mean you kissed him?"

"As in I put my lips against his and stuck my damn tongue in his mouth." Sasuke snapped back. "Where are they? Gaara's room?"

"No, Shikamaru's room. When did this happen? What were you thinking?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth. "I wasn't thinking. It kind of just happened. Look, I'll be down there in a minute."

"Hmph."

Sasuke hung up and grabbed his keys. He ripped open the door and slammed it behind him. He took the staircase two stairs at a time until he got down to the first floor. He sprinted down the corridor until he got to room 122.

Outside the door, he found Kiba waiting.

Kiba gave him a quick eye roll. "Fast paced much?"

"Oh bite me, Kiba." Sasuke replied.

"Oh, baby, can I?"

Sasuke and Kiba both laughed.

"Seriously though, Sasuke. I know I said you should go for it, but damn dude… just randomly kissing him?"

"I know, I know. It was an accident, Kiba I want to apologize to him."

Kiba shook his head slowly. "I dunno Sasuke. He seemed pretty upset. I think you should just leave it."

"God, I'm such an idiot!" Sasuke said loudly. "If I could take that kiss back I would."

"Um, Sasuke…"

"It was stupid. I wasn't thinking, and now he probably hates me."

"Sasuke!"

"What?"

"Naruto is standing behind you…" Kiba said, then quickly turned away.

Sasuke grimaced before turning to face the blond.

"Hi, Naruto."

Naruto simply nodded at him.

"Naruto, I'm –"

"I'm going to stay with Shikamaru for a while." Naruto said distantly. "He said I can stay for as long as I wanted, so I'm going to go get some of my stuff."

Sasuke stood there, staring at him with his mouth open.

"You – you're leaving?" he gaped.

Naruto nodded. "Sasuke, I have to. Look, I don't hate you, and I know that it was a mistake."

Sasuke hung his head, feeling remorse.

"I'll be back, Sasuke. I will. But I need space. What happened earlier was just so… I dunno. I need space."

Sasuke sighed and nodded. The best he could hope for was that Naruto would be back soon.

"I'll see you around." Naruto whispered as he left.

Three weeks passed, and Sasuke hadn't spoken to Naruto once. He didn't come back to the room if Sasuke was there. In World History, their shared class, he had changed seats. At lunch, he sat with a different group of people, one of which, Sasuke hated.

"He's always with that damn Lee kid." Sasuke grumbled to Kiba as they left the cafeteria.

"Along with Shino, Chouji, and that asshole, Neji Hyuuga." Kiba added. "Why on earth is he hanging with them?"

Sasuke growled.

"Anyway, I've got to go dude. My last exam is gonna start soon."

"Good luck." Sasuke called after his retreating form. He stood there, leaning against the wall, lost in thought, until a voice interrupted him.

"Hey there, Sasuke."

Sasuke groaned and turned to face the speaker.

"Hidan." He ground out from between clenched teeth.

Hidan chuckled. "It's funny how much you hate me."

"For good reason." Sasuke shot back.

"Listen, Sasuke, can we just talk?" Hidan asked, sounding oddly serious. "I think we need to clear the air between us. I'm not the same guy that you used to know."

Sasuke was about to either swear at Hidan or kick him between the legs, but then he saw Naruto walking out of the cafeteria, laughing at something that Neji had said.

"Sure, Hidan." Sasuke found himself saying. "Let's go up to my room and talk."

When he closed the door behind him, he turned to face Hidan, feeling apprehensive. Suddenly, this didn't seem like a good idea.

Hidan was smirking at Sasuke.

"So much for just a talk." He said.

"Wh – what do you mean?"

Hidan's smirk grew wider. He stepped up to Sasuke and twirled a finger in his hair, breathing on his neck.

"You're room, Sasuke? Honestly, you and I both know there's only one reason that you invited me up here. If you wanted to just talk, you would have suggested something like walking in the grounds."

He lifted his face and connected his lips with Sasuke's. His kiss was forceful, demanding all of Sasuke's attention. Sasuke's thoughts were reeling out of control, but he kissed back passionately, moaning softly as Hidan began to move them toward the bed. They collapsed onto it, tangled in each other and their clothing, which they were trying to remove quickly. Sasuke pulled his shirt up over his head, then began undoing the buttons of Hidan's shirt. Loosing is patience on the last few, he simply ripped the shirt off, exposing the pale skin underneath.

Hidan laughed.

"Don't worry, Sasuke, I'm not in any rush."

"I am." Sasuke growled back, pulling Hidan's belt off.

Hidan tried to grin, but he lost his focus as Sasuke's hand found his long, hard member. Hidan moaned loudly and arched his back, whispering Sasuke's name again and again. Sasuke grinned as he raked his teeth down Hidan's bare torso, down to his navel, before taking him in his mouth completely.

"Oh god yes!" Hidan groaned, clutching Sasuke's hair with one hand. Sasuke's head bobbed up and down ferociously, trying to make Hidan climax quickly. Hidan's free hand crept across the bed and wrapped around Sasuke's hard member, jerking him off rapidly. Sasuke thrusted his hips, literally fucking Hidan's clenched hand. He increased the momentum of his head, creating more suction, and soon Hidan was practically screaming in pleasure.

"I'm – gonna" he choked out before releasing in Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke swallowed around Hidan's cock, milking him for his last drop, just as he came over Hidan's hand and his sheets. His body jerked and shook as the waves of his orgasm subsided, then he rolled onto his back, breathing heavily.

"Same old Sasuke." Hidan said with a laugh. "Care to tell me what that was about?"

Sasuke mumbled something under his breath and went through to the bathroom. When he returned, he found Hidan, sprawled naked on the bed, bringing himself to a second climax. Sasuke merely shook his head at him.

"You never change, do you?"

Panting, Hidan shrugged. "I was still hard."

Sasuke cleared his throat. It was time to make his intentions clear.

"You know this was a once off thing, right?"

Hidan nodded. "I figured as much, kiddo. That's perfectly fine by me, on one condition."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "And that would be…?"

Hidan smiled. "Cut the crap with me, okay? No more avoiding me, and no telling me to fuck off."

Sasuke laughed. "Alright. Hidan. Now, I've got things to do, so fuck off."

Hidan rolled his eyes, pulling his pants up and redoing the buttons on. "I'll get right on that. Bye love."

"Get." Sasuke laughed, pointing at the door.

In the aftermath of his soirée with Hidan, Sasuke went into the grounds and climbed into a tree, sulking heavily. Hidan had been good for relieving tension, but that didn't make the knot in his stomach vanish entirely. He felt so bitter about Naruto that he didn't even answer his phone when Kiba called an hour later. He glared through the tree's leaves at the college, wishing his years here were already at an end. College was turning out to be overrated.

His phone gave a beep, announcing a message. Sasuke fished it out of his pocket and read it.

"_Hey Sasu, where r u? I'm done with my exam. Got some things 2 tell u. Call me."_

Sasuke closed his phone and continued to glare.

Down below, some voices were nearing where he was sitting. He recognized one as Neji's, and another as Naruto. As they got under the branch were Sasuke was perched, Neji looked up and spotted him.

"Oh great." He spat out, "it's the fag."

Shino, the only other one with them, laughed, but Naruto frowned.

"Don't forget that this fag kicked your ass last time." Sasuke retorted, making Neji go red.

"Come down here and say that."

Sasuke jumped down from the tree, the blood rising to his head. He stood inches away from Neji's face, snarling.

"This fag kicked your ass." He repeated, glaring daggers at the Hyuuga in front of him.

Neji's fist swung forward at Sasuke's stomach, but Sasuke caught it and twisted Neji's arm. He kicked Neji hard in the side, making him spin and fall. Shino stepped in and tried to punch Sasuke, but Sasuke dodged it and kicked him in the face. Neji stood up, ready to strike again. He landed a hard shot to Sasuke's jaw, making the Uchiha see stars for a moment. At that, he lost all control. He kneed Neji in the stomach and roundhouse kicked him, making him fall to the ground yet again.

In the distance, Sasuke could hear Sakura and Ino call out to him, running forward. Neji saw them too.

"This isn't over, Uchiha." He growled.

"I'm looking forward to next time, Hyuuga." Sasuke replied.

He stalked off, with Shino trailing him, but Naruto stayed behind.

"Are you alright, Sasuke?" he asked, almost kindly, but Sasuke was too incensed to accept that kindness.

"Don't fucking act like you suddenly care, Naruto." He said, spitting out some blood. "It's not helping me."

"What am I supposed to do, Sasuke?" Naruto yelled. Sakura and Ino stopped a few feet away, watching the exchange.

"Try being a friend!" Sasuke shot back. "You've avoided all of us for nearly a month, and now you suddenly care again? It doesn't work that way."

Naruto's face reddened.

"Well I'm sorry, okay?"

Sasuke started to walk away, but tuned back to the blond.

"And you know what?" he said bitterly. "I don't regret kissing you. I'm not sorry. "

Sasuke stalked away, brushing past Sakura and Ino.

"What was that about?" Ino asked Sakura.

"I have no idea." She replied, turning to Naruto.

The blond looked at them, sighed, and walked away.

Back in his room, Sasuke was destroying everything in sight. He threw his bedside lamp at the door, smashing it, turned his bed on its side, and slammed everything else into walls.

The door opened slightly, and Kiba poked his head around it, ducking when a book flew at him.

"Holy shit, Sasuke! Calm down!"

"Sorry." Sasuke mumbled, "I thought you were Sakura."

Kiba shrugged. "I'd understand throwing a book at her… So, what happened?"

"Hyuuga." Sasuke muttered.

"Hmm. I'm guessing you mean Neji, not Hinata."

"Obviously."

"What did he do?" Kiba asked.

"We got into a fight." Sasuke replied. "Shino was involved too. Oh, and Naruto and I had words."

Kiba grimaced. "Damn, dude. I'm sorry I didn't have your back."

Sasuke shrugged. "It's cool. Shit happens."

Kiba chuckled darkly. "You got that right. Ino and I broke up."

"What?" Sasuke asked, shocked. "Why?"

Kiba shrugged. "I don't even know. But it's all good. I have my eye on a few other girls."

Sasuke shook his head, laughing. "Typical Kiba. You never get hurt by people, do you?"

Kiba shrugged. "Nah, I have commitment issues. I never get in too deep."

"I wish I could say the same." Sasuke muttered, putting his bed back in its normal position. He flopped down on it and glared at the roof.

"I just wish that Naruto would see how much I care for him."

Kiba shrugged. "He probably does. He just won't admit it, even to himself. "

Sasuke let out a heavy breath. "Fucking drama queen."

"Says the gay one." Kiba said with a grin. Sasuke glared at him and reached for a heavy book.

"I was kidding!" Kiba yelled, laughing.

There was a knock on the door, followed by it opening. Gaara and Shikamaru came in, giving the wreckage an odd look.

"Hey guys." Sasuke greeted. "Don't mind the mess, Kiba was feeling destructive."

Kiba shot him a dirty look.

"Sure Sasuke." Gaara said with a laugh. "Like we'd believe that."

"Troublesome." Sasuke said, picking up a piece of lamp.

"Yes, well."

They fell into a comfortable conversation, and it felt much like it had last year, when they had started college. Of course, they had all been friends throughout high school as well, and Sasuke, Kiba, and Hinata had known each other since they were kids.

Sasuke stared out of the window, lost in nostalgic memories. He didn't notice when the sun started setting.

"Sasuke." Kiba said, getting his attention once it was already dark.

"Hn." Sasuke said to indicate that he was listening.

"I'll be back in a second. Just gotta do something quickly. Shika, Gaara, look after my best friend."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Too troublesome. Sasuke can look after himself. But we'll hang around to watch him do it."

Gaara chuckled and nodded.

Sasuke sat at his desk and picked up a pencil and a piece of paper. He began to draw with long, light strokes, and Shikamaru and Gaara watched him, talking quietly amongst themselves. Sasuke had been known to turn vicious when he was disturbed.

A full half hour later, Kiba returned, carrying a bag.

Sasuke glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and continued drawing.

"What's the bag for?" he asked, not looking up.

"I'm spending a few days here with you." Kiba said. "I've already threatened, I mean, spoken to the Dean. He's okay with it, so long as we set nothing alight."

Sasuke laughed. "We start one little fire and we're never trusted again."

"You burned down the science lab." Shikamaru pointed out.

"You're point being?" Kiba asked.

"Never mind." Gaara sniggered.

"Well, we've got to go now." Shikamaru said, standing and stretching. "See you guys at breakfast."

"Yeah," Gaara added, "Our little Shika-kun needs to go see his boyfriend before he goes to bed."

"Fuck you. At least I have one, straight-boy." Shikamaru said, blushing.

"I resent that." Kiba called as they made their way to the door.

They left, closing the door behind them, and left Kiba and Sasuke to clean up the mess. When they were done, Sasuke switched the lights off and crawled into his bed.

"Goodnight, Kiba." Sasuke said.

"Night. Sleep well dude."

Sasuke closed his eyes and began drifting off, but just before he could, there was a light knock on the door.

"Who the fuck is that?" Sasuke moaned. He got up sluggishly and trudged over to the door. He opened it, fully intending to start swearing, but his mouth hung slack and he froze up.

"Sasuke, go to bed you cunt." Kiba moaned. "I'm not staying in this room just so you can keep me awake."

Sasuke said nothing. He simply stared through the open doorway, unable to speak.

"Hey Sasuke." Naruto said sheepishly. "Can we talk?"

_**XXX**_

A/N: There's yet another chapter, hope you all enjoyed it! Took me an age to write, for some reason. Review and I'll update sooner!


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto, a banjo, or any weapons of mass destruction.

**Warnings: **Yaoi (boyXboy) and language!

A/N: I re-read the previous chapters after some reviews and noticed that I left out something important. So, just to clear the air, Hidan wasn't physically abusive toward Sasuke. He was more verbally abusive. Sorry for the confusion. After verbal abuse, Sasuke may have hated Hidan, but he can easily use Hidan for sexual purposes. I will now proceed to burn my word processor for the mistake. MUAHAHAHAHAHA!

_**Chapter 6**_

Sasuke stared blankly at Naruto. He was in his pajamas, which were covered with little frogs, and was holding his hands behind his back. His blond hair was disheveled and messy, and it looked like he had something heavy on his mind.

"Um, Sasuke?" Naruto asked unsurely. Sasuke realized that he hadn't answered Naruto yet.

"Er, sure Naruto." Sasuke replied. "Just give me a second to get a shirt on."

He turned and went back into the room, feeling Naruto's gaze lingering on him as he pulled his shirt back on. He left the room and closed the door behind him.

"Sorry," Sasuke apologized. "Kiba's staying here for a few days, and he's busy trying to sleep…"

Naruto's eyes narrowed at the mention of Kiba's name, but he didn't comment on it.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

Naruto cleared his throat. "Well, I wanted, firstly, to know if it was okay with you for me to come back again."

Sasuke nodded. "It's your room too, Naruto. I can't keep you out."

"That's not what I meant. I mean, would you be okay with having me back here again? I'll understand if you're still mad at me, but I want to come back and try to sort things out."

"I don't have a problem with it." Sasuke told him. "I'd be glad to have you back here."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks. Also, about what you said earlier…"

Sasuke looked away. He didn't want to hear this right now.

"I meant what I said, Naruto. I don't regret it. I like you a lot."

Naruto nodded. "I know that. And I don't regret it either. The only thing I regret is the way I freaked out at you."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at the blond.

"Obviously it made me a bit uncomfortable, but I know you didn't do it on purpose Sasuke. And I know that you wouldn't intentionally hurt me like that."

Sasuke sighed. "I would never hurt you."

"And maybe I did kind of like it. I'm straight, believe me, but that kiss, coming from someone I care about… I did like it. It was just a bit in appropriate."

Sasuke could have sworn he heard someone say "Liar." from behind the door he was leaning against.

"I understand, Naruto."

Naruto smiled again. "Well, I'll bring my stuff around in the morning. I'm sure Shikamaru will be pleased that he'll have his room back to normal."

He waved to Sasuke and walked down the corridor, a slight spring in his step. Sasuke turned to the door and, with a quick, darting movement, jerked it open. Kiba, who was leaning on the other side of the door, fell to the ground and cussed loudly.

"So what do you make of all of that?" Sasuke asked, stepping over Kiba and into the rom. He didn't even bother to ask if Kiba had been listening.

"He's lying." Kiba said, standing and closing the door behind him. "He does have feelings for you, but that boy is in such denial. He needs to wake up and smell the roses. And that excuse for liking the kiss… Lame!"

Sasuke chuckled. "That's what I thought as well. Now I have to try to break through that denial and make him realize that he likes me too."

Sasuke heard the bed on the other side of the room creak slightly as Kiba sat down.

"Hmm…" Kiba said thoughtfully. "There's the dance coming up. You could invite him. But that's too much if he doesn't even want to admit to liking you."

"Yeah. That would be a very awkward conversation. There's always the town. I could take him out a few times, loosen him up a little.

"That's good." Kiba commented. "And while you're on it, invite someone else to the dance. Try to make Naruto jealous."

Sasuke laughed. "Now that's a good idea, Kiba."

"Who would annoy him the most as your date?" Kiba asked.

Sasuke considered the question. The answer, of course, was Kiba, and that would just be weird.

"I don't know. I'll come up with something. But for now, let's just sleep."

Sasuke took his shirt off and slid under his blanket, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.

The next morning was bright and sunny. Sasuke stretched and yawned, blinking in the light.

"It's about time you woke up." Kiba said from the other bed.

Sasuke flipped him his middle finger as he looked over. Kiba, like Sasuke, was shirtless. His bare chest was nicely tanned, and his nipples were slightly darker than his skin tone. Sasuke couldn't help but admire his best friend's body.

Kiba noticed Sasuke's lingering stare.

"You're going to make me blush…" Kiba said mockingly, pulling his blanket up to his shoulders in fake embarrassment.

"Oh, can it Kiba." Sasuke said with a laugh. Kiba got out of his bed and crawled in next to Sasuke, cuddling up to his chest affectionately.

"What are we going to do today, oh bestest friend? It's Saturday."

Sasuke glared at Kiba. "We can start by you getting out of my bed."

At that point, the door opened and Naruto walked in. He took one glance at Sasuke and Kiba in bed together, saw Sasuke roll his eyes, and snorted.

"Its times like this that I'm glad that I'm not you." The blond said, putting his bag down.

Kiba glared at Naruto, but said nothing. Sasuke could practically hear Kiba plotting something.

"What are you doing today, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, trying to defuse what ever Kiba was thinking about.

Naruto shrugged. "Nothing, I guess. Why?"

"Well, Kiba and I are going into town for the day, we'll probably land up taking the whole group. Do you want to go?"

Naruto smiled. "Sure. Just put on some clothing first."

"Duh." Sasuke said, rolling his eyes.

After getting dressed and rallying up a few extra people, they left for the town. The walk was quick, and uneventful, and when they got to the town they did what they always did and divided up, going to their separate interests. Temari and Shikamaru immediately left for the arcade, while Sasuke, Kiba, Hinata and Naruto headed to a sushi bar.

After they had sat down and ordered, Naruto stretched lazily.

"This is bound to be better than the crap they serve us up at the school."

Sasuke nodded, sipping on a coke. He glanced over at Kiba, who was unusually quiet, staring off into space.

"Are you okay, Kiba?" Sasuke asked.

Kiba nodded vaguely. "I'm fine, just lost in thought."

"Unfamiliar territory." Hinata giggled.

Kiba shot her a withering look.

Their sushi arrived, and they began to dig in.

"Much better than school food." Sasuke commented around a mouthful of salmon sushi. "I could eat this every day."

"So Naruto," Kiba said, giving the blond a sidelong glance, "Who are you taking to the dance next month?"

Naruto looked a bit startled. "Um, no one I guess. I haven't given it any thought."

"How about you, Kiba?" Hinata asked. "Anyone special for you."

Kiba shook his head. "Nah. I'm a free agent."

Hinata nodded. "Sasuke?"

"I'm not going to the dance." Sasuke said immediately.

"Why not?" Naruto demanded, giving him a scrutinizing look.

Sasuke shrugged. "I have no one to go with."

Naruto made a noise of assent, and seemed a little pleased with himself.

After they had eaten, they stood.

"Well, I need to go get some supplies for school." Hinata stated.

"As much as I hate to admit it," Kiba said, "so do I. I'll come with you."

"I need some new reading material." Sasuke said, purposefully not looking at Naruto. "So I'm heading over to the book store."

"I'll go with you, Sasuke." Naruto said instantly. "I need a new book too."

Behind Naruto, Kiba grinned. "Stay out of trouble you two."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He waved to Hinata and began to walk, again not paying any heed to Naruto. He was trying his best to show Naruto that he had more interests than just him.

Naruto jogged to catch up with him and fell into step beside him.

"What kind of books do you read?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shrugged. "Mainly fantasy. I love manga. And the occasional mystery novel."

Naruto nodded. "I prefer science fiction. And sometimes a romance."

He blushed a little at that admission, but Sasuke pretended to not notice. They entered the book store, with Naruto still hounding Sasuke's steps. Sasuke took his time browsing through the selection, only speaking when Naruto asked him a question, and eventually picked out two new manga volumes to buy.

Naruto grabbed something, seemingly at random, from the shelf. They paid for their purchases and left the store, walking out onto the quiet street.

"What do you want to do now?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shrugged.

"It's up to you. I don't have anything else I need to do today."

"Well, I kind of need some school supplies too." Naruto admitted sheepishly.

"Why didn't you go with Kiba and Hinata?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Naruto sighed quietly. "I wanted to go with you."

Sasuke smiled despite himself. "Alright, let's head that way. Maybe we'll bump into the others so we can decide what to do next."

Naruto nodded, and they walked back down the street in the direction that they had come from.

"What's going on with Kiba?" Naruto suddenly asked with a frown. "He's been acting a bit weird."

Sasuke thought that was a bit hypocritical, but let it slide. "That's Kiba." He said, "Kiba's always weird. Personally, I think it's his period."

Naruto chuckled. "Could be."

When they arrived at the store they needed, Sasuke waited outside while Naruto got what he wanted. When he came out again, he looked livid.

"That fucking Hyuuga." He muttered. "Always out to cause shit."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Neji? What'd he do this time?"

Naruto looked away, seemingly embarrassed. "It's nothing."

They walked back down the street, heading to the arcade. Sasuke continued to press Naruto for information, wanting to know what Neji had said to him.

"Alright!" Naruto finally exploded. "I'll tell you. He asked if, since I'm hanging out with you and we're sharing a room, if I'm, you know…"

Sasuke shook his head, playing dumb. "No, I don't know."

Naruto glared at him, but he remained stoic.

"Fine! He said, and I quote, 'Are you a faggot too?'"

Sasuke frowned, plotting to kill Neji the next chance he got.

"Well," the Uchiha said, "you didn't reply, did you? Because that would only make things worse."

Naruto shook his head. "I just glared at him."

"Good." Sasuke said. He continued walking, now in silence. Naruto kept pace with him, scrutinizing him out of the corner of his eye.

"Sasuke…" he said, stopping suddenly.

"Hn." Sasuke replied to show he was listening.

"Do I seem gay to you?"

Sasuke frowned at him, wondering whether to laugh or comfort him. Instead, he decided to go the diplomatic route. "Why would you ask that?"

Naruto shuffled his feet. "Well, Neji thinks I'm gay now. And when you met me you liked me. So I just thought…"

Now Sasuke did laugh. "Just because I like you doesn't mean I automatically thought you were gay. Don't be stupid." They turned into a side street, a shortcut to where they were headed.

Naruto flared a little at the insult, but then smiled. "So I don't seem gay?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No, Naruto. You're more the type to walk around in woman's clothing singing old show tunes."

Naruto punched Sasuke's arm and glared. They were standing rather close, barely a few inches apart. Sasuke noticed their proximity, and the fact that the street was deserted. He took a step back to put a little distance between them, but Naruto stepped with him, closing the gap a bit more.

"You're not getting away that easily." Naruto said in a deep, husky tone. "You insulted me, so I think a bit of punishment is in order."

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. His mind reeled slightly, trying to think of a way to get away from him.

Naruto leaned forward, and Sasuke panicked more.

"Relax, damn it." Naruto mumbled, and pressed their lips together. Sasuke felt two arms encircle his waist, and a hand slid up the back f his shirt, caressing the skin their. He moaned softly, and Naruto took the opportunity to slip his tongue into Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke pulled back, his face flushed.

"Naruto, what are you doing?"

Naruto looked at him as though he was missing something.

"I'm kissing you." He replied. "I thought you wanted this?"

Sasuke didn't have time to reply. Naruto crashed their lips together again. Sasuke grabbed a fistful of Naruto's hair, holding him there while their tongues wrestled for dominance. The remained locked together for quite some time, until Naruto pulled away, gasping.

"We should go." Sasuke whispered. "The others are going to start worrying."

Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. He followed Sasuke down the street and back toward the arcade.

_**XXX**_

Night had fallen when they returned to the college, so Sasuke and Naruto bade their friends goodnight and went to their room. Sasuke was still confused about what had happened in that alley, and he was determined to get answers.

As soon as the door closed behind him, he rounded on Naruto.

"Naruto, we need to talk."

Naruto looked at him, giving his full attention.

"What was that, back in the alley?"

"A kiss, Sasuke." Naruto replied.

"Fuck, I know it was a kiss! What I mean is, why did you do it?"

Naruto shrugged. "Because it's what you want. That's why."

Sasuke growled. "But is it what you want?"

Naruto remained silent for a full minute.

"No," he said slowly, "It's not."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and jammed his hands into his pockets.

"Then why?"

"It made you happy?" Naruto replied.

Sasuke let out a frustrated noise. "Happy? Happy to have my feelings fucked with?"

"Well excuse me for trying to be nice."

Sasuke glared, and Naruto glared back.

"If you only did it to make me happy, then thanks for the thought. But it hurts as well, so maybe you shouldn't do that again."

Naruto nodded. Sasuke sat on his bed and allowed himself to fall backwards, so he would be staring at the roof.

"I don't get it, Sasuke." Naruto said after a while.

"Hn."

"If you like me, then why do you have a problem with me kissing you?"

"It makes me think that there's something more there, that I stand a chance with you. It makes me want to do more than just kiss you in a dark alleyway."

"Oh." Naruto said. Then… "What would you do then?"

Sasuke thought for a moment. "Little things. Like kissing you when we're here in the room. Holding your hand when we walk down the corridors. Hold you for no other reason than I want to."

Naruto smiled. "You really are a romantic, aren't you?"

Sasuke chuckled ruefully. "Yeah. I guess I am."

Sasuke got up and walked over to the dresser. He took out his pajamas and pulled his shirt over his head. He could feel Naruto's eyes on him, and that just furthered his confusion. When he tugged his pants off, he heard Naruto make a small noise, but paid no attention to it. He pulled on his pajamas and headed over to his bed. Sleep sounded like a good idea.

"Why are you single?" Naruto asked suddenly. "You're a nice guy, and you're good looking. Why don't you have a boyfriend?"

Sasuke shrugged, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I had a boyfriend last year. Things didn't go so well for us…"

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

"He was a bit of a dick. He treated me badly, and he was verbally abusive, always telling me that he was the best I would ever have, that I wasn't even worthy of him. Coupled with the shit that goes on at home, I couldn't take it and I had a breakdown. After, I broke up with him, and I haven't found anyone else since then."

"Sorry." Naruto said meekly.

Sasuke shrugged. "Forget about it. Let's just get some sleep."

Naruto nodded and crawled into his bed. Within moments the blond was snoring lightly.

_**XXX**_

Another few days passed, bringing the dance closer. So far, Sasuke was determined to avoid the silly event at all costs, but Kiba had another idea.

"Come on, Sasuke, you have to go." He said during an English class. "After what you told me about that day in town, you really need to do something to get his attention."

"I'm not going." Sasuke stated adamantly.

"Who would piss Naruto off and make him jealous?"

"Honestly, you Kiba. Want to be my date?"

Kiba looked taken aback.

"Didn't think so. So drop it."

Kiba shook his head. "It's not that. If I didn't already have a date I wouldn't mind going with you. But Naruto's jealous of me? Why?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know. But he gets iffy when you hug me or touch me in any way. That day that you kissed my neck I thought that Naruto was going to explode or something."

"Hmm…" Kiba mused. "You should still go."

"Kiba, I already told you that –"

"We'll go to town after classes end today and get you the perfect outfit." Kiba said. "And before the dance we'll go get your hair done too. That way, when Naruto sees you there, his jaw will drop right off."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Shopping and getting my hair done? Kiba, are we sure that I'm the gay one?"

Kiba laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. You don't want to face the consequences of refusing, now do you?"

"And what would that be?" Sasuke asked coolly.

Kiba shrugged, a demonic look glinting in his chocolate eyes. "I'll tell Sakura that you don't have a date."

Sasuke repressed a shudder of horror. "What time do you want to go today?"

Kiba smirked. "Good boy, Sasuke. By the end of the dance, Naruto will be sure to fall for you."

"I hate you." Sasuke replied meekly.

The outfit that Sasuke and Kiba eventually chose was quite eye catching. A tight fitting powder blue button-up shirt, a pair of black pants with red embroidery, and a pair of shoes that cost more than Sasuke's monthly allowance. He also got a black jacket to match it, along with a crimson red tie. It was a formal dance, after all, and Sasuke had to look the part.

"I'm not so sure about the shirt." Sasuke complained as the left the store, carrying bags under their arms.

"Don't whine." Kiba replied. "It'll look perfect on you."

Kiba's outfit was similar. Instead of power blue, his shirt was a light green, and his tie was a dark gold.

Sasuke muttered something vulgar under his breath, and Kiba pretended to not hear him.

"This still isn't going to help, you know." Sasuke pointed out.

"Oh, I know." Kiba said. "But this isn't all. I have a plan, my little Uchiha. A plan that will ensure that Naruto will be yours."

Sasuke immediately became worried. "What are you going to do?"

Kiba grinned. "Trust me, Sasu."

Sasuke did exactly the opposite…

_**XXXXXXX**_

A/N: Okay, there's another chapter for you guys, hope it was worthy of your awesomeness!

Sasuke: Rekhyt paid me a lot of money to say this. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!

Rekhyt: Leave me some love, and I'll make an awesome next chapter, I promises. And the more reviews I get, the sooner I'll update! And I promise a bit more SasuNaru love in the next chapter, when Kiba's plot comes in.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto. I, however, am the property of the voices in my head. Well, that's what they told me, anyway…

**Warnings: **Yaoi, language… the usual.

A/N: I have one thing to say: Thank God Christmas is over. I bloody hate the holidays.

This chapter took me a while to do… Writers block. But here I am again, hoping that you guys will like the latest chapter.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all. I got the Naruto Shippuden Ultimate Ninja 5 game and a Konoha forehead protector (which I'm wearing at the moment) for Christmas, so I'm happy.

Anywho, I made this chapter a lot longer, think of it as a holiday special. R&R please!

Now, for a quick pimping of someone else's story: You should so read Changing Fate, by ninjaprincess212. It's an awesome story. You hear that, ninjaprincess212? Go update it! :P

_**Chapter 7**_

The day before the dance was to take place, Kiba dragged Sasuke back into the town and into a hair salon.

"I still don't see why this is necessary." Sasuke whined.

"Do you want to look good or not?" Kiba asked pointedly.

"Fuck you." Sasuke retorted, turning back to the door, but Kiba grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He rammed Sasuke into a chair and signaled for one of the hair stylists.

"Hi there," Kiba greeted the young man. "I'd like to get my reluctant friend here a trim and some styling please."

The stylist smiled. "Sure thing."

"While you're at it," Kiba said as an afterthought, "let's get him a manicure as well."

"What!?" Sasuke yelled, trying to escape again.

Kiba glared at him levelly. "Sasuke, I've been tolerant so far, but you are going to do this whether you like it or not."

Sasuke mumbled something incoherent under his breath.

All in all, it wasn't really as bad as Sasuke would have imagined it. It was relaxing to have someone running their fingers through his hair, so he laid back and let the stylist do his work.

Nearby, Kiba was mumbling things into his phone, seemingly upset about something.

"Kiba," Sasuke said quietly, "what's going on?"

Kiba shot Sasuke a silencing look and carried on speaking. He heard Hinata's voice faintly, and he wondered what the two of them were talking about, but he was too relaxed to care, really.

Eventually, Kiba hung up and turned, grinning, to Sasuke.

"Perfect." He said. "Hinata was tailing Naruto for me, and she's making sure Naruto will be at that dance."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "We already knew that Hinata's a stalker. Remember that guy she stalked last year for two semesters?"

Kiba laughed. "Oh yes, how can I forget? He was our teacher!"

Sasuke laughed. "Asuma. You know they actually went out on a few dates?"

"Seriously?"

"I thought Hinata told you."

Kiba laughed again. "That little slut."

The stylist finished up, and they paid as they walked out.

"Back to the topic," Kiba said, "Naruto is going to be there, without a date, apparently, so that's in our favor. My plan ought to work perfectly."

Sasuke looked at him in trepidation. "And that plan is…?"

Kiba shook his head. "It'll ruin it to tell you. But I guarantee that by the end of the night, Naruto is going to be so jealous that he's bound to let something slip in that act of his."

Sasuke sighed. "I hate you, Kiba. You know that, right?"

Kiba chuckled. "I know. And I love you for it. Now let's get back up to the school."

_**XXX**_

The night passed by quickly, with Sasuke barely even looking at Naruto, and all too soon it was the day of the dance.

"It's a pity you aren't going to be there tonight." Naruto said. "We could hang out. I mean, I don't have a date either."

Sasuke fidgeted with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Um, actually, Naruto, I am going tonight. Kiba is forcing me."

Naruto frowned at him. Rather than being happy about that, he seemed upset.

"What?" Sasuke asked. "I thought you said you wanted me to go?"

Naruto completely ignored the question. "Do you always give in to Kiba so easily?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke countered.

"You said you didn't want to go. And now, suddenly, Kiba tells you to do it, and you immediately go along with what he says."

There it was again. Sasuke could practically feel the venom dripping off of Naruto when he spoke Kiba's name.

Sasuke shrugged, playing it dumb. "Well, if you had continuously asked me, and threatened me with Sakura, then I would have agreed too."

"He threatened you?" Naruto asked, again avoiding the topic. "What kind of friend is he?"

That bristled Sasuke's fur. "He a damn good friend." He shot back. "He's trying to get me out so I can have fun instead of sitting in this room all night and being bored."

Naruto snorted. "Yeah, sure. It sounds to me like he's just trying to control your life. If you wanted to stay here rather than go to the dance, I would have let you, but your darling Kiba says something and you jump instantly at the chance to make him happy."

Sasuke gaped at him. He had changed his tactics again, switching from his angle of Kiba being manipulative to Sasuke apparently crushing on his best friend. Sasuke had told Naruto repeatedly that he had no interest in Kiba, but the blond kept bringing it up.

"My darling Kiba?" Sasuke asked with raised eyebrows.

"Oh come on, Sasuke." Naruto said in exasperation. "The two of you are always hanging on each other, he's always touching you and kissing you, and you even went to his house when you got suspended instead of going home. Not to mention that the second I was gone you invited Kiba to stay with you."

A low, growling noise escaped from Sasuke's lips.

"You have no fucking idea what you are talking about, Naruto." He said venomously. "Do you want to know why I went to Kiba's house? Why I was afraid to go home?"

"Afraid?" Naruto scoffed. "You were just scared that your parents would freak, so you hid at your boyfriends house."

Sasuke snapped. He launched across the room and tackled Naruto hard, pinning him on his back to the floor.

"Really now?" he asked. "Let me give you a little hint about why I didn't go home."

Naruto seemed too stunned to speak.

"Do you remember the first day of the semester? The day we met?"

Naruto said nothing.

"Answer me!" Sasuke yelled forcefully.

"Yes, I fucking remember!" Naruto yelled back, his face reddening in anger.

"Good. Now, what was different with me, on that first day, that isn't here now?"

"You were less of a prick back then?" Naruto spat out.

Sasuke's face darkened like a thundercloud, silencing the blond.

"No. Let me refresh your memory, Naruto. I had a massive bruise over my eye. Do you remember that? Do you know how I got that?"

Naruto didn't say anything.

"My father smashed my face into the fucking ground." Sasuke practically screamed. "He beat me to the floor, then proceeded to kick me until he got bored of it. He does that every chance he gets, because I'm not as perfect as fucking Itachi. When ever I'm at home, I get the crap beaten out of me for no reason. If that was happening to you, Naruto, you wouldn't want to go there either!"

He leaned closer to Naruto, staring him in the eye.

"What?" Naruto said, bewildered. "Why didn't anyone tell me this?"

"Because you never asked." Sasuke replied, his tone normal again. "You were too busy playing your little game, pretending that you have no interest in me, when it's so fucking obvious that you do."

Abruptly, Sasuke smashed his lips to Naruto's and kissed him. Naruto's mouth responded instantly, opening to allow Sasuke entry, but as quickly as the kiss started it ended. Sasuke pushed himself off of the blond and headed to the door.

"Glad we could have this little chat." He said, not even turning around. "I'll see you at the dance then. Or not."

Naruto stayed on the floor, shell shocked, touching is lips with his fingers and panting.

_**XXX**_

Sasuke stormed down the corridor, heading to Kiba's room. He was going to tell the Inuzuka that he was not, under any circumstances, going to the dance. He didn't bother to knock. He simply grabbed the handle, turned it, and barged inside.

Inside, he took one look at the bed, gasped loudly, and turned around.

"Damn it all, Kiba, can't you keep it in your pants?" he muttered angrily.

Kiba grunted his reply. There was a brief murmur of voices behind him, then Ino slipped past Sasuke, offering him an embarrassed, apologetic smile as she shut the door.

"I thought you two broke up." Sasuke said, turning back to face Kiba, who was wrapped in his sheets.

"We did." Kiba said in an annoyed tone. "But that doesn't mean we can't have sex."

"Hn." Sasuke replied.

Kiba sighed. "Now what do I do?"

"About what?"

"About this." Kiba said, pulling the sheets aside. His large erection stood proudly, a drop of pre-cum at its head.

Sasuke blushed deeply, trying not to stare.

Kiba slowly ran his fingers over his hard-on, sighing.

"Guess it's a manual job now."

He wrapped his fist around it and began to massage it slowly, closing his eyes in pleasure. Sasuke watched as his friend pleasured himself, feeling his own pants tighten in response. It wasn't until a moan escaped him that Kiba looked up again.

He glanced at Sasuke's crotch, where his pants did little to hide the bulging erection, and smirked broadly.

"My my, Sasuke, are you getting turned on by me?"

Sasuke flushed and looked away. "Shut up, Kiba."

Kiba grinned at him before standing up walking to him.

"Wh – what are you doing?" Sasuke asked.

Kiba shrugged. "Honestly, I have no idea. I never think before I act, Sasuke."

He rubbed his palm across Sasuke's erection, eliciting a moan from the raven haired boy.

"Ki – Kiba, stop."

"Why?" Kiba asked in a casual voice as he undid Sasuke's belt buckle.

"Because we're best friends." Sasuke choked out as his pants was pulled off.

"So? We'll still be best friends."

"You're straight." Sasuke tried.

"Again, so? I'm experimenting."

He slowly pulled down Sasuke's boxers, revealing his hard-on.

"Wow, Sasuke." Kiba murmured gazing at the large organ. "Nice."

"Kiba," Sasuke said, desperate to get some sense into this. "We have to stop. You don't want me."

Kiba stopped. He looked Sasuke in the eyes, then slowly reached behind him and locked the door.

"Right now, I think I do." Kiba said, rubbing their erections together.

He pulled Sasuke by he waist until they were on the bed, and then pulled his shirt off.

Only then did he really pause, the reality of the situation hitting him.

He mumbled something under his breath, and Sasuke shook his head slowly.

"See? I told you so."

"It's not that." Kiba said, his voice suddenly hushed. "It's just, well, I've never done this with a guy. I, um, don't know what to do…"

Sasuke waited for him to say something, to give up on this.

Kiba blushed lightly. "Will you, um, show me?"

Sasuke sighed, and nodded.

Slowly, he reached between their bodies and grasped both of their erections. With Kiba positioned underneath him, it was easier for him to do it. He began to jerk them off, not going too fast. He found that he wanted it too. Kiba was his best friend, but he was also incredibly hot.

For a while, there was silence while Sasuke rubbed them both, but after a minute, he had gotten bored. Letting go, he slid his body down, grazing their chests together as he did so, and dipped his head, swiping his tongue over the head of Kiba's erection. He paid special attention to the slit, and when Kiba's hips began to rock back and forth, he indulged the boy by taking his complete length in his mouth.

Kiba gasped loudly and grabbed the sheets, trying to keep himself from thrusting his hips and gagging his friend. He tapped Sasuke's shoulder and made a grasping movement, urging Sasuke to bring his cock within reach. Sasuke stopped for a moment, repositioning himself so that they were laying side by side, and continued to suck. Kiba started off by massaging Sasuke's cock, but soon took him into his mouth. The feeling was new, and it excited the brunette. It wasn't long after that his hips bucked one last time, and he shot his load into Sasuke's eager mouth. Sasuke followed right after, and the two boys collapsed against the sheets, sticky from sweat.

"So what was so important that you barged in like that earlier?" Kiba said lightly, as if nothing had happened. Sasuke laughed and punched his shoulder affectionately.

"You know we're going to talk about this, Kiba."

Kiba nodded. "I know. But right now, we have other concerns."

"Naruto and I had a fight." Sasuke said. "And I actually came here to tell you that I'm not going to the dance."

While he was talking, Kiba had snaked an arm between their bodies and was fondling Sasuke's balls.

"This is so different from what I'm used to." Kiba murmured, apparently to himself. "But I think I like it."

Sasuke bit his lip, but couldn't control himself as his cock began to harden again.

"Damn it all, Kiba, stop it."

Kiba moved up to the shaft and started jerking Sasuke off.

"You are going to the dance tonight, Sasuke." He said while he worked. Sasuke was too busy moaning softly to reply, his hands raking over Kiba's body.

An hour later, the two boys went to Sasuke's room. Silently, Sasuke prayed that Naruto wasn't there. If the blond saw him come in with Kiba, he would have that knowing smirk on his face, like he knew what was going on. It was already bad enough that Sasuke had done exactly what Naruto had accused him of only an hour earlier.

Luck was with him, however. The room was empty.

"Get dressed, then come back up to my room." Kiba said. "Then we'll head down to the hall for the dance."

Sasuke ground his teeth, but nodded. Kiba was totally unscrupulous.

He pulled on the ridiculous shirt and jacket, and as he was pulling the pants on the door opened again.

Naruto stepped in, along with Gaara.

"Hey Sasuke-kun." Gaara greeted. Naruto stared at Sasuke. Sasuke stared at Naruto.

"Hey Gaara." Sasuke responded. "You going tonight?"

Gaara nodded. "Yeah, I'm going, but mostly to keep my brother and Shikamaru from screwing each other on a table in front of everybody."

Naruto laughed softly, and Sasuke cracked a smile.

"Well, I'd better go and get ready. See you guys later."

Waving, the redhead left, leaving Sasuke and Naruto in an awkward silence. Sasuke pulled a belt on, and stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie.

"You look nice." Naruto mumbled behind Sasuke, looking into the mirror.

"Thank you." Sasuke replied a bit stiffly. "Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

Naruto nodded. "I'm waiting for Hinata. She said she'd help with my outfit."

Sasuke nodded, trying to refrain from commenting on Naruto and Hinata being alone together.

He patted his hair, trying to flatten it, but was unsuccessful.

"Here, let me do it." Naruto said. He darted into the bathroom and came back carrying a tub.

"I bought some hair wax," he explained, "It'll help to keep it under control for the night."

The blond took some onto his palm and rubbed them together, then began working it into Sasuke's hair.

Sasuke let out a pleasured sigh, closing his eyes, and Naruto chuckled.

"Sorry," Sasuke said, "I have a weakness for people playing with my hair."

Naruto chuckled again and gave Sasuke's hair one last pat.

"All done." He said.

"Thanks." Sasuke said. "I'd better get going."

"Where too?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke sighed. "I'm meeting up with Kiba, since we're both going dateless. And before you say it, no, he is not my date, I'm not interested in my best friend, and for informational purposes, I walked I on him and Ino earlier."

Naruto frowned and disregarded most of what Sasuke said. "I thought they split up."

"They did." Sasuke replied. "Now their fuck-buddies."

Naruto made an affirmative noise, shrugging, and Sasuke left the room, heading up to Kiba. It was going to be a long night…

_**XXX**_

"Stop fidgeting." Sasuke muttered to Kiba. They were sitting in the Inuzuka's room, waiting for time to pass, and Kiba was restless.

"Why are you so nervous?"

"I don't know." Kiba said, but Sasuke knew he was most likely lying.

"Is there some girl you want to impress tonight?"

Kiba shook his head. "No, not this time."

"A boy then?" Sasuke joked, but Kiba immediately blushed, giving him away.

Sasuke was awestruck.

"A boy?" he stuttered, "But I –"

Then Kiba burst out laughing. "Man I'm good." He said, his eyes tearing with mirth.

"But, the blush…?"

Kiba shrugged. "Faked it. I thought of something embarrassing."

"You're such a cunt." Sasuke said, punching his friend.

"A sexy cunt, though." Kiba corrected. "Anyway, it's time to go now. Come along, Sasu-chan."

"Don't call me that." Sasuke said, "It makes me sound like some pushover uke that begs to get nailed by every guy."

"And you don't?" Kiba asked, feigning a look of surprised shock.

"Kiba, I'm going to kill you!"

Laughing, Kiba walked down the hallway, with Sasuke muttering behind him.

Walking out into the evening air, they breathed in the scents of roses and jasmine, slowly making their way to the hall.

"I think we should drop the whole Naruto thing." Sasuke said quietly.

"Why?" Kiba asked, equally quiet.

"I don't know. But let's leave it, okay? No plan. No trying to make him notice me."

Kiba shrugged. "Alright, Sasuke. No plan. I promise."

Sasuke smiled and walked into the hall.

"Sucker." Kiba smirked, uncrossing his fingers.

The room was already packed when Sasuke walked in, and it took him a moment to adjust to the noise.

There were speakers on all sides of the room, blaring out dance music. Sasuke cringed mentally. He didn't care much for public events like this.

"I'll get us some drinks." Kiba called above the music. He vanished between the people an instant later, leaving Sasuke stand there alone.

"Hey, Sasuke." A voice said behind him. Turning, he noticed Shikamaru's boyfriend, Kankuro. Sasuke had only met him once before, really, and they had barely spoken. It was surprising that the guy even remembered his name.

"Hello, Kankuro." Sasuke greeted. "Where are your brother and sister at?"

Kankuro shrugged. "I don't know. They're around here somewhere."

Sasuke nodded, looking around for Kiba. He was at the bar that had been set up for the night, talking to some girls.

When he turned back to Kankuro, the older boy had stepped closer, only a foot away from him.

"You don't like it here, do you?" he asked bluntly.

"Not much." Sasuke admitted. "I've never been one for large crowds and such." As he spoke, Kankuro took another step closer. "But I guess it isn't too bad." Sasuke said quickly.

Kankuro smirked, obviously relishing the effect he was having on the younger boy.

"Why don't we go outside for a bit?" he suggested. "It's stuffy in here, and I want to talk to you."

The moment he said that, a wave of apprehension washed over Sasuke, but he quashed that feeling quickly. It was Shikamaru's boyfriend, after all. What could happen?

As the cool air of the night hit him, Sasuke took a deep breath. The sky dark, obscured by thick black clouds, and the only light came from a nearby streetlamp.

Sasuke shuffled his feet uncomfortably, shivering slightly.

"What do you want to talk to me about?" he asked.

Kankuro took a moment before he answered, watching Sasuke carefully.

"I've been watching you." Kankuro said. "For quite some time, I watched you; during lunch, in the hallways between classes…"

He paused, and Sasuke stayed silent. This couldn't be happening, could it?

Kankuro took a step closer, closing all distance between them.

"I like you, Sasuke." He said in a husky tone, placing one hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and the other around his waist.

"Shikamaru." Sasuke said blindly, trying to deter the older man. He squirmed in his grasp, but couldn't get away.

"What about him?" Kankuro asked offhandedly. "He doesn't matter to me. You, on the other hand, aren't like him."

Sasuke's mind reeled. How did he attract this kind of thing? Well, he wasn't going down without a fight…

"I guess I'm not." He said softly, placing a hand on Kankuro's upper arm. Kankuro took this as a sign to proceed and closed his eyes, leaning forward.

Sasuke whipped his arm back and punched Kankuro square in the jaw. The older boy staggered backwards from the blow, but Sasuke wasn't done yet. He spun and kicked Kankuro in the chest, sending him crashing to the ground a few feet back.

"Like I'd do that to one of my friends." Sasuke spat out, kicking Kankuro in the ribs.

"Sasuke!"

The Uchiha turned, and saw a dumbstruck Shikamaru staring at him. A few paces behind him were Gaara, Temari, and Naruto.

Shikamaru and Temari ran forward to Kankuro, while Gaara stayed rooted to the spot. Naruto shook his head, sneering, and walked away.

"Naruto, wait!" Sasuke called out, but the blond disappeared around a corner quickly.

Sasuke turned to face Shikamaru, who was shaking his head at Temari. The two of them were crouched next to Kankuro.

"He's out cold." He said to Temari.

"It's not my fault." Sasuke said automatically. "He was coming on to me, and I couldn't get away. Then he insulted you, and I kinda lost it…"

Shikamaru looked away.

"I think you should go." He said.

Temari looked at him in shock.

"Shikamaru, what are you saying?"

"He knocked out Kankuro, Temari." Shikamaru replied heatedly.

"Because he came onto Sasuke!" Temari shot back.

"Knowing Sasuke, he led him on."

Sasuke gaped at him in shock. How could his friend say that about him?

Temari slapped Shikamaru. "How can you sit there and say that?"

Shikamaru got up without another word and walked away.

Temari stared after him, looking oddly hurt, and Gaara went to her.

"He'll come around." He said softly, and Temari blinked rapidly.

"That stupid git!" she yelled. "I hate him!"

Gaara shot Sasuke an apologetic look.

"We'll take care of Kankuro." He said. "Go enjoy the party."

"But I –"

"No, you should go." Temari said. "You don't want to see what's going to happen to his asshole when he wakes up."

Sasuke bowed his head and muttered an apology.

He went back inside quickly, scanning the room for any signs of Naruto or Kiba, and it wasn't long before he spotted them both. They were sitting with Hinata and, oddly, Hidan.

"This can't be good." Sasuke muttered, moving toward them.

"Sasu-kun!" Hidan said excitedly, throwing himself onto the startled Uchiha. "I've missed you."

"Um, Hidan, what are you doing?"

"Just hanging out with Kiba and Hinata, like the old days."

Naruto was scowling darkly.

Hidan nuzzled into Sasuke's neck affectionately, earning a pointed look from Naruto.

"We were just talking about the old times," Hinata said casually, "back when you two were still dating."

""Yeah, I think I remember something like that happening." Sasuke said sarcastically, prying himself out of Hidan's arms.

He sat down, just as a clap of thunder went off outside. Naruto sneered at him.

"How's Kankuro?" he asked.

Sasuke bit back the urge to retort, so instead, he tried a new tactic.

"He's still out cold," he said cheerfully. "I knocked him out good and solid."

"And you're proud of that?" Naruto nearly yelled.

"Yes, I am." Sasuke replied in a dangerously sweet tone. "Since he was coming on to me, while dating a friend of mine, and saying that Shikamaru meant nothing, yes, I am proud of what I did."

Naruto fell silent.

Hidan squirmed his way into Sasuke's lap, sitting there and throwing an arm around his neck.

"You know, Sasuke," Hidan said nonchalantly, "we had our downs, but our relationship wasn't really all that bad. I've been thinking, maybe we should give it another go."

"Excuse me?" Sasuke said in disbelief, just as Naruto stood up and stormed away from them, heading for the door.

"Shit." Kiba said. "You'd better go after him."

"Why?" Sasuke said stubbornly. "He doesn't want me around."

"Just go talk to him." Hinata urged, looking upset that Naruto had left so abruptly. "Please?"

"I'm sorry." Hidan said. "That was probably my fault."

Sasuke grumbled under his breath, but stood up and pursued the blond boy. He opened the doors and went outside, only to find that it was pouring with rain.

"Just fucking great." Sasuke mumbled. His first thought was that Naruto would have headed back to their dorm room, but then he spotted the blond turning a corner, heading in the opposite direction.

Cursing, Sasuke ran after him. He was heading into the woods that were on the grounds, and once they had entered, Sasuke had difficulty in tracking his prey.

"Damn it, Naruto, where are you?" he muttered darkly. Ahead, he saw a flash of movement and ran forward, eventually catching up to Naruto.

He grabbed the other boy's wrist and spun him around.

"Naruto, what's –"

Naruto punched Sasuke, his fist connecting with the cheek bone and forcing the boy back.

"What the hell?" Sasuke exclaimed.

"Fuck you, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled. "I'm game now. I can't take it."

Sasuke blinked in confusion. "What game? Naruto, what the hell are you talking about?"

Naruto stared at Sasuke defiantly.

"You know exactly what I mean, Sasuke."

"No I don't." Sasuke said stubbornly, folding his arms. "Enlighten me."

"The shit with Kiba, for a start!" Naruto yelled. "You're all over the boy!"

"So what?" Sasuke countered. "Why can't I be? You showed no interest in me anyway. And besides, Kiba is straight! I've told you that repeatedly."

"Kiba and Hinata both told you that it's obvious that I like you." Naruto said in a low voice. "But you carried on with him."

Now Sasuke snorted. "Yeah, like I listen to those two over these matters. Neither one of them had any proof. But that doesn't mean I was friendly with Kiba to get back at you. That's just the way our friendship works, damn it. He's an affectionate person, unlike my current company."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto shot back.

"Oh please, you avoid me like the god damned plague. You treat me like a stranger half the time, then you suddenly make out with me in a fucking alley! Then there was the time you spent with that fucking Hyuuga, who I happen to hate, incidentally. I mean, what the fuck, Naruto?"

"You brought that on yourself, Sasuke." Naruto sneered. "But then, there's Kankuro now too. What was with that?"

"He was coming on to me!" Sasuke yelled.

"And you didn't lead him on?" Naruto asked with a smirk.

"Fuck you, Naruto." Sasuke shouted. "I'm so happy to know that you all think I'm some two-bit slut. Thanks to that, I've lost Shikamaru. But no, for your information, I did _not _lead fucking Kankuro on."

Naruto looked away, seeming to be thinking.

"Hidan." He said finally. "That little fiasco you had with him there. Explain that."

"Why do I have to explain?" Sasuke asked, exasperated. "Why does it even matter. You don't care either way, right?"

"It matters because I do fucking care, you prick!" Naruto screamed. "It matters because I think I'm in love with you!"

There was silence following that statement. Naruto seemed just as shocked as Sasuke was at the admission. The blond had clapped his hands over his mouth, his eyes wide, while Sasuke stared at him with his jaw hanging open.

After what seemed like an eternity to both boys, Sasuke finally spoke.

"How long?" he asked.

Naruto knew what he meant. "Since the time you kissed me while you were helping me with my homework. Maybe before then."

Sasuke nodded absently. "Then why?"

Again, Naruto understood the question. "Because I was scared, okay. Scared that I'd get treated differently by everyone. Scared that you'd just break me and move on. Scared that Kiba would interfere."

Sasuke sighed. "Kiba wouldn't do that. He wants us to be together. He's been riding my ass since I met you to make a move."

Naruto's temper, which had deflated, suddenly came back.

"And now your ex-boyfriend wants you back. How perfect."

"Naruto –" Sasuke began, but Naruto just spoke over him.

"Now that Hidan wants your back, my little confession will be as redundant as I thought it would be. You'll get back together with him, being the forgiving person you are, and you'll –"

"Naruto, shut up!" Sasuke yelled.

"No! Why should I sit back and –"

Sasuke did the only thing he could think of to shut the blond up. He slammed their lips together, kissing him fiercely with as much passion as he could muster. He put every thought and emotion into the kiss, hoping to convey how he felt with that one simple action, and it seemed to work. Naruto moaned into Sasuke's mouth, wrapping his arms around the latter's waist and pulling him closer.

Sasuke pulled away suddenly, and Naruto made a disappointed sound.

"Why'd you stop?"

"Because I need to say this." Sasuke said. "I need you to know this Naruto."

He ran his fingers lightly over Naruto's lips.

"I love you too. And if I have to choose between dating you, Kiba, Kankuro or Hidan, I choose you."

He kissed Naruto again, more tenderly this time.

"I choose you, Naruto."

_**XXXXXXX**_

A/N: Well, was that any good? Please review and let me know!

This isn't finished yet, but I already have plans for a sequel in mind. What do you guys think of that idea?

Sasuke: Damn, Naruto, that punch really hurt you know.

Naruto: You're an Uchiha. You'll survive.

Kiba: He'll only survive if people review this chapter…

Naruto: *rolls eyes*


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I am here to disclaim! … So, what am I supposed to do again…? Um… Oh yeah! Lord Rekhyt does not own Naruto… Damn.

**Warnings: **It doesn't take Byakugan to see that this story has yaoi and strong language…

Also, there's mention of attempted rape in this chapter.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews guys, it means a lot! Well, this chapter is going to be a bit darker, and things start going really downhill for Sasuke. Why? Read on and find out!

_**Chapter 8**_

A bright light shone through Sasuke's eyelids, harsh and glaring. Cupping his hand over his eyes, he slowly sat up in his bed. Something about today felt different, and it was a long moment before Sasuke recalled the previous night's events. The dance. The storm. Naruto…

He glanced over to Naruto's bed, where he found the blond yawning and stretching as he woke up. Sasuke bit his lip, wondering what the boy's reaction would be now that the heat of the fight was gone and he had had time to think.

"Good morning, Sasuke." Naruto said timidly, a blush staining his cheeks as he look at anything but the boy opposite from him.

"Morning, Naruto." Sasuke replied. He wished that he could hear what was going through Naruto's mind. The suspense was killing him.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good. You?" Sasuke replied.

"Good too…"

He trailed off, staring out of the window. Sasuke was becoming increasingly nervous now. It seemed that Naruto was pretending that nothing had happened between them. It seemed that their little game was still on…

"What class do you have first today?" Naruto inquired, and Sasuke had to bite his lip again to keep from screaming. A moment later, Naruto's laughter filled the room, sounding much like a chiming bell.

"I'm just kidding with you, Sasu-kun." Naruto said as he climbed out of bed. He crawled in next to Sasuke and cuddled against the pale Uchiha's side, wrapping an arm around him.

"You had me going for a second there." Sasuke admitted, smiling in spite of himself as he held Naruto against him. Both boys were only wearing boxers, and it was soothing to feel the other's bare skin against their flesh.

"This is the last week of this semester." Naruto said. "What are you planning to do for the holidays?"

Sasuke gulped in some air. "I'm not entirely sure… Obviously I'm not too thrilled at the idea of going home. Kiba invited me to stay at his place until school starts again, but I don't think that –"

"You should go to Kiba." Naruto said instantly. "You'd be happier there, and it's away from your abusive father."

"I'm more worried that you'd freak out with me being near him for the whole holidays." Sasuke mumbled as his lips caressed Naruto's neck, making the blond boy sigh in pleasure.

"I don't mind, Sasuke." He said. "I understand now, I think. Kiba's just an affectionate person. I was wrong to be jealous."

Sasuke chuckled, but didn't voice his opinion on that subject.

"So what are we now?" he asked, his face still buried in Naruto's neck.

"You're my bitch, of course." Naruto said with a laugh, making Sasuke scowl darkly. "Just kidding, Sasuke. We're boyfriends, as far as I know. Unless you say otherwise…"

"And why would I do that?" Sasuke asked. "I'd have to be pretty blond to say something like that."

Now it was Naruto's turn to scowl while Sasuke laughed.

"Payback is a bitch." He whispered, brushing his lips against Naruto's.

Naruto made an affirmative sound and pressed their lips together harder, opening his mouth a little. Sasuke took that as a sign and slipped his tongue into Naruto's mouth. Naruto moaned softly and ran his fingers down Sasuke's bare chest, leaving faint pinkish trails where they grazed. Sasuke ran his fingers through Naruto's hair and felt the boy shuffle closer. Something hard poked Sasuke's leg, and his eyes opened in surprise. They travelled over Naruto, and, as if drawn, to the bedside table…

"Shit, we're late for class!" Sasuke shouted, jumping out of the bed.

Naruto looked at him in disbelief, his mouth hanging open.

"We have to get going." Sasuke muttered, oblivious to Naruto's expression. He looked up and saw the blond glaring at him.

"What?" he asked stupidly.

"Come on, Sasuke!" Naruto complained, "You just got me all horned up, and now you're going to leave me?"

"But we're going to be late…" Sasuke complained.

Naruto pulled the blanket off of himself, revealing his boxer-clad hard-on.

"And this?"

Sasuke was reminded of what had happened with Kiba, the situation was very similar, but he quickly shook that image away. That was one time, and Naruto was his boyfriend now.

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at the blue-eyed boy and sauntered over to him.

"I guess that would be too cruel." He whispered, kissing him and lying on top of him. He heard Naruto's sharp intake of breath as he cupped his groin and rubbed it slowly.

Naruto slid his hand under Sasuke's bowers and began to reciprocate, rubbing his palm up the length of Sasuke's manhood. Sasuke grinded down against Naruto's hand, relishing the feeling, and ran his tongue over the blonds jaw. He held him down with his free hand and began trailing kisses down Naruto's body, until he got to his navel. He licked there, making Naruto giggle a little, and pulled his boxers off, enjoying the sight of Naruto's long hardness.

"Are you just going to stare at it?" Naruto asked with a grin. Sasuke smirked and engulfed the blond in his mouth, sucking hard and making Naruto cry out in pleasure. While his mouth worked over Naruto's hard-on, he reached down pulled his own underwear off. Naruto's hand wrapped around it at once and began a steady rhythm. Sasuke placed his hand over Naruto's, so that they were both jerking him off. Sasuke's other hand traced light patterns over Naruto's stomach and chest, and as he felt himself nearing his orgasm he sucked harder, making Naruto's body tense up. Naruto came hard into Sasuke's mouth, and Sasuke swallowed around the blond's member. He followed shortly after, coating their hands and abdomens in his sticky seed.

When Sasuke pulled his head away, he noticed that Naruto was grinning like an idiot, so he kissed him passionately and whispered; "Good morning."

Sasuke ran down the hallways, trying desperately to get to class. Thanks to their escapade in the bedroom, he was a full ten minutes late. Luckily, his first class was English, and Professor Hatake wouldn't care less, but he didn't want to miss the work, since that would mean having to catch it up later.

He knocked lightly on the door when he arrived and opened it. Peering inside, he saw Professor Hatake arch an eyebrow and shrug carelessly, so he quickly slipped in and headed to his desk, sitting between Kiba and Temari.

"Where were you?" Temari asked him curiously, "You're never late for class."

"I'll tell you guys later." Sasuke replied, getting his books out.

"What happened with Naruto last night when you went after him?" Kiba asked. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way."

"Sorry for what, exactly?" Sasuke queried.

Kiba looked down. "Hidan. Don't blame him, I asked him to do that, to get a response out of Naruto."

Sasuke, who had been reaching into his pencil case, accidentally snapped a pencil in half.

"I thought as much." He growled. "Didn't I tell you to drop your plan?"

"Since when do I listen to you?" Kiba countered.

"You're getting off topic." Temari interrupted. "What happened with Naruto?"

Sasuke shot Kiba a dark look. "Well, when I caught up to him the first thing he did was hit me, which I'm going to get you back for, Kiba."

"Me? Why me? I didn't hit you."

"It's your fault he did it. Anyway, we had a bit of a screaming contest, and a lot of things were said. In the end, he accidentally confessed that he thinks he's in love with me."

"What!?" Kiba said in a strangled tone, trying to keep his voice down.

"Yeah. So, um, we're together now." Sasuke concluded.

"That explains why you were late this morning." A voice said. Turning, they saw Professor Hatake kneeling down behind them.

"Oh my god." Sasuke said, burying his face in his arms.

"So you got the boy you wanted and had a little fun before class?" the professor asked. "That's cool."

"Professor." Temari choked out, trying to not laugh, "Why were you eavesdropping?"

Kakashi shrugged. "I was bored. Anyway, I'd better get back to teaching. Oh, and Sasuke?"

"Yes?" Sasuke said weakly, looking up.

Hatake Kakashi winked at him, then walked to the front of the class.

"Kill me please." Sasuke moaned, while Kiba and Temari laughed quietly.

_**XXX**_

In the days that followed, Sasuke spent as much time as he could with Naruto, but before long, the holidays had started, and Sasuke was due to leave with Kiba.

"I'll see you soon." Naruto whispered to Sasuke, hugging him. "I'm going to try to come over to Kiba's place."

Sasuke nodded and grinned. "I hope you'll be able to come."

Naruto leaned closer to his ear.

"I'm sure I'll be able to _come_." He said, stressing the last word and making it dirty. He licked Sasuke's ear, making him blush deeply.

"Stop it, Naruto!" Sasuke whispered.

"Why?" Naruto asked, licking his ear again and making a sound similar to a cat purring.

"Because you're making me hard!" Sasuke whispered back furiously, and Naruto laughed.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop."

He took a step back, and Sasuke couldn't help but pout at him.

"You told me to stop." Naruto said reasonably.

"Ass."

Naruto laughed.

Out of nowhere, Kiba flew through the air and tackled Sasuke to the ground.

"God damn it, Kiba-kun." Sasuke grumbled. He pushed the Inuzuka off of him and stood, brushing the dirt off of his clothes. "These clothes are new, damn it."

Kiba just grinned. "You ready to go yet? I can't wait, this is gonna be fun!"

Sasuke scowled at him and flipped him off.

"Can I have a minute with my boyfriend please?"

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, he'll be at my place within a week. I've already spoken to mom."

Naruto laughed, and Sasuke turned his scowl to the blond.

"This isn't funny."

"Sure, sure."

He gave Naruto a quick, chaste kiss and followed Kiba towards his mother's minivan with Hinata.

After greeting Tsume, they piled into the back and got comfortable.

"I thought you had to go home." Sasuke said to Hinata, who simply shrugged.

"My father is an asshole, but he's not stupid." The tiny Hyuuga said. "He knows that by letting me go to Kiba, he doesn't have to put up with me."

Sasuke chuckled. "Good point."

"So Sasuke," Kiba said from the seat next to his mother, "Where did Satan go for the holidays?"

"Kiba!" Tsume chided, but he ignored her.

"Itachi went home." Sasuke said. "I saw Sasori with him, though, so I'm pretty sure he's going to be keeping busy."

Tsume gagged a little on that. "Sasuke… your brother and Sasori?"

Sasuke nodded and made an affirmative noise.

"Hmm…" Tsume mused. "That can't be good."

"Why do you say that, Tsume?" Hinata asked.

"I know Sasori's grandmother." Tsume said. "Since Sasori's parents died, he's been living with his grandmother, Chiyo. Last time I saw her, she was telling me about Sasori."

"And?" Kiba asked.

"And, well, Chiyo has been worrying about Sasori for a while, because he was acting strange, so she tried to find out what was going on with him."

Tsume sighed. "It turns out that Sasori is involved in some kind of cult, something dark. She wasn't about to say anything to him though, since she's scared out of her mind."

Sasuke stared at Kiba's mother. "A cult… Wow. I wonder if Itachi knows about this."

The rest of the drive was silent, and for the first time since he was a child, Sasuke was worried about his older brother.

A few days passed by very quickly, and before Sasuke knew it two other members of their group had arrived. The first was Naruto, and Sasuke was lucky to miss out on meeting his parents since he was showering at the time. The second was Shikamaru, who was still pissed at Sasuke.

"I don't get it." Sasuke complained to Hinata and Naruto. "His boyfriend was coming on to me, and the idiot blames _me _for hitting the guy?"

"Shikamaru isn't stupid." Naruto said. "I guess he's just defensive about Kankuro."

"He's a douche." Sasuke commented grumpily, climbing up into a tree.

"He's in love, Sasuke." Hinata reprimanded.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. And he's a douche."

Naruto chuckled. "Ever the fair one, right Sasu?"

"Fuck fair." Sasuke replied.

"I have a better idea." Naruto said, running a hand across Sasuke's thigh. "Fuck me."

Hinata clapped her hands over her ears. "Could you guys please not do that in front of me? I'm all for yaoi, but if I have to see it I'll be scarred for all eternity."

Sasuke laughed and poked her in the ribs. "Calm down, Hinata-chan. We aren't going to have sex in a damn tree."

Naruto feigned a look of disappointment. "We aren't? Then why are we up here?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and pointed toward the house. As Hinata and Naruto turned, Shikamaru came out and sat on one of the deck-chairs.

"Lord Douche is around, that's why. I don't want to give him any more excuses to glare at me."

"So we're hiding now?" Hinata asked.

"If you want to go down, I'm not going to stop you."

Hinata considered it. "Well, you two are probably gonna start making out any second now, so I think I'll go keep Kiba company."

She dropped herself between the branches and landed lightly, then walked to the house.

"She's nimble." Naruto noted. "And she's not even taking Martial Arts."

Sasuke grinned. "When Hinata was younger, she used to take karate. Also, her sister, Hanabi, is annoying as hell, so she used to hide from her in trees."

"How long have you known Hinata for?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke reclined against the base of the tree, staring up at the canopy of leaves above him.

"I met Hinata and Kiba about a year before we started school. It's been a really long time now."

"Wow." Naruto mused. "That's a long time to know people."

Sasuke laughed. "And a long time to get used to the things that annoy you about them. I remember back in the third grade, I would often sleep over here with Kiba, and he'd always pull the covers off me. And he snored like crazy back then."

Naruto giggled. "What changed that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I started waking him up every time he did it. After a year, he stopped."

For a few moments they were silent, simply staring at the leaves around them.

"Why do you hate Itachi so much?" Naruto asked. "I mean, aside from the obvious."

"Obvious meaning that he's an attention seeking douche?" Sasuke questioned.

"Well, yes." Naruto confirmed. "You're saying douche a lot today."

"It's my word of the day."

For a while he was quiet, then he started talking again.

"He was always better than me." Sasuke admitted. "At everything. He would do it simply to put me down. He said it was to encourage me to become better, but I never believed it. He seemed to take pleasure in it. When I would ask him for help with my homework, he would make all sorts of promises to me, but he'd never follow through on them. He just didn't care about me, since he was the apple of father's eye. After a while, I stopped caring about him too. It wasn't worth it anymore to let him get to me. When he noticed that I stopped reacting to him he became cold toward me, and I did the same."

Naruto watched him as he spoke, completely enraptured by the story.

"When I was ten," Sasuke continued, "something happened that not even Kiba and Hinata know about. Our uncle, Uchiha Madara, came to visit us. He's some big shot that owns an international company called Akatsuki, or something, I can't remember it, and he's more than a little crazy. Anyway, he came to visit us, and I was up in my room, minding my own business, when he came in. He said he had a surprise for me…"

Sasuke laughed bitterly, and Naruto's eyes widened.

"He –"

Sasuke shook his head. "He tried. By the time Itachi walked in, Madara had already ripped my cloths off, and was about to rape me, but when the door opened he seemed to come to his senses. He warned Itachi and I to never speak of it and walked out… He didn't even look at me. I was broken… I may have been young, but I knew exactly what he was going to do to me. Itachi came in and threw my shirt at me, telling me to get dressed and clean myself up. He said that I was obviously a dirty whore. When I tried to defend myself, telling him that Madara was forcing himself on me, he told me – he told me that I had probably led Madara on…"

"Oh my fucking God." Naruto said, tears forming in his eyes. "So when I said that, after Kankuro…"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."

He took a deep breath and plucked a leaf, holding it between two fingers to examine.

"That's why I hate Itachi."

"Why did you go to him when you were confused about me then?" Naruto asked shrewdly, and Sasuke shrugged again.

"He was there. He was playing the nice card, like he always does when he wants something, and I needed to talk to someone. I regretted it, of course, even though he never told a soul. I regretted it because he has no right to know anything about my personal life. I hate him, and I always will."

Naruto nodded and shuffled closer to Sasuke, placing himself in the raven haired boy's lap.

"I'm sorry Sasuke." He murmured. "I'm sorry for everything I said, and I'm sorry that your family is so twisted. If you ever need somewhere to go, you can always come to me, I hope you know that."

Sasuke smiled at the blond and kissed his forehead. "Thank you, love. That's why I have you, Kiba and Hinata. You guys are what keep me sane."

So I guess Madara never got caught?"

Sasuke shook his head.

Tsume's voice rang out across the lawn then, calling them.

"Boys, its dinner time! Go wash up."

Sasuke gave Naruto another quick kiss. "Let's go."

_**XXX**_

It was halfway through the holidays, and everyone was hanging around the pool.

"Man, your house has everything." Naruto commented. "What do your parents do, Kiba?"

Kiba shrugged. "My dad is in some kind of development science, and my mom's an excellent veterinarian surgeon. When my dog, Akamaru, was hit by a car last year she fixed him up perfectly. He doesn't even have a scar."

"I remember that." Hinata said quietly. "You were out of college for that week."

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. You were so worried about Aka."

Kiba nodded. "He came out fine though. I wonder where he is."

He looked around the garden, searching for his bear-sized dog, but saw nothing.

"He's probably off scaring little children." Naruto said with a laugh. "Honestly, Kiba, do you feed your dog steroids?"

They all laughed at that, not noticing the door to the house slide open.

"Sasuke," Tsume called. "You need to come to the door. There's someone here to see you."

Sasuke smiled. "Coming Tsume."

When Kiba and Hinata made to follow, Tsume stopped them.

"No, you guys need to wait here for a second. Come on, Sasuke…"

Sasuke glanced at Tsume curiously, then back at his friends. They motioned for him to go, and he knew that they would follow and listen in. The three of them had been doing that since they could remember.

When Sasuke got to the front door, he saw two policemen standing there, looking very out of place and uncomfortable.

"Here he is, officers." Tsume said, and her voice was shaking.

"You're Uchiha Sasuke?" one of the officers questioned, and he nodded in response.

The other officer cleared his throat. "Where have you been since college broke up for the holidays?"

"He's been here, officers." Tsume said, and the man waved her off.

"Please, ma'am, we would prefer it if Mr. Uchiha would answer for himself. Perhaps you should –"

"Sasuke is a son to me." Tsume said fiercely, "I won't make him sit through this alone."

The officer gave her a disgruntled look, but turned back to Sasuke.

"If you would answer the question…"

"It's like Tsume said," Sasuke replied. "I've been here the whole time."

"And your brother, Uchiha Itachi?"

Sasuke shrugged. "As far as I know, he went home, along with his bo – I mean, his friend, Sasori."

The officers nodded and wrote something on a notepad.

"Have you had any contact with Itachi over the past week?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't talk to Itachi if I can help it."

"And what of your parents? Have you spoken to them?"

Again, Sasuke shook his head. "No. My father doesn't like me much, so I spend most of my time here, and my mother wouldn't risk calling me because of him."

Again, the officer scribbled something down. He turned to the other officer, who nodded sharply.

The policeman straightened out and sighed.

"Mr. Uchiha, we regret to inform you that your parents, and a few members of your extended family, have been murdered."

The air in Sasuke's lungs seemed to vanish between heartbeats.

"What?" he said, certain he had misheard.

"At roughly ten-thirty-two last night, a neighbor of yours called the police with a complaint about a disturbance at your residence. A squad car was sent, and after arriving immediately called for backup."

The other officer nodded. "When we arrived, it was to find Uchiha Fugaku, Uchiha Mikoto, Uchiha Shisui, and a few others, dead."

"How…?"

The officer cleared his throat. "We have already received a confession from Uchiha Itachi. He admitted to the murders, giving details only the perpetrator could have known. He and his accomplice, Sasori, have been taken to the prison and are awaiting trial."

"Oh god…" Sasuke muttered. "Mom…"

He fell to his knees and began sobbing heavily into his hands.

Loud footsteps sounded, followed by Hinata and Kiba appearing at his side.

They didn't say anything, since they knew that no words would comfort their friend. Instead, they held him closely, tears running down their own cheeks.

"We are sorry for your loss." The officers said before turning and leaving.

Tsume dropped down next to Sasuke.

"I'm so sorry, Sasuke." She murmured. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Get Naruto." Kiba said to Hinata. "He needs him as well. Mom, can you go to Shikamaru?"

Hinata nodded and dashed away.

"Shikamaru?" Tsume asked in bewilderment.

"Just keep him off of our backs." Kiba said. "Sasuke doesn't need any more shit right now."

Sasuke sank to the floor completely, curling his body into a tight ball. He heard Tsume hurry off, and soon Naruto was there with him too.

"Sasuke?" he said, sounding terrified. "Oh my god, Sasuke…" he leaned down and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

"I'm here for you." He whispered, and Sasuke fell into a blissful state of unconsciousness. It hurt more than anything he had ever felt, and he couldn't cope. His body shut down, forcing him to sleep.

It was comforting, at least, to know that Naruto and his two closest friends were watching over him.

_**XXXXXXX**_

A/N: So what did you guys think of it? It was way darker than I had originally intended, but when I started writing it just poured out… and I kind of like it. I tried to keep some elements of the relationship that Sasuke and Itachi have in the manga/anime, with a few things I added. I hope I pulled it off okay.

Leave me a review and tell me what you think of it please! I promise to update soon!

*Rekhyt*


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I don't own it, I swear!

**Warnings: **I'm sure you know by now…

A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys, they were awesome! Yeah, I gave Sasuke a bit of a hard time, but heck, that's just how life is, right?

Okay, bear in mind that I haven't slept in the past 48 hours, so this chapter might be a little crazy.

_**Chapter 9**_

The darkness was comforting. In the dark, he didn't have to hide. In the dark, nothing could hurt him. In the dark, there was silence. In the dark, he felt nothing.

In the dark, his family wasn't dead…

Sasuke's eyes fluttered open slowly. He was in Kiba's room, on the bed, and it was night. He stared up at the dark ceiling, looking at the glow in the dark stars that he and Kiba had put on the roof when they were twelve. For a panicked moment, Sasuke felt like he was being crushed, but then he remembered how to breath again. His limbs felt heavy and stiff, like they were made of oak, and his vision was slightly blurred around the edges. He couldn't understand why his eyes were burning, as if they were drenched in acid. With great effort, he raised a hand and wiped them, startled to discover tears.

Why was he crying? And why did he feel like there was no air, like he couldn't move?

Slowly, memories came back to him of the conversation he had had with the police officers, and his crying became worse in an instance.

He had no idea how long it had been since the conversation took place. The last thing he remembered was Naruto whispering something and wrapping his arms around him.

"Na – Naru – to…" Sasuke croaked out. His voice sounded raw, and his throat felt like sandpaper. To his surprise, something immediately shifted nearby.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto appeared next to him, his eyes blood-shot and surrounded by dark rings that were caused by stress and an obvious lack of sleep.

"Wh – how long have –" Sasuke's throat hurt more with every word, and Naruto seemed to understand.

"Here," the blond said, handing a glass of water. "I thought you might need this."

Sasuke took the glass in his tired, heavy arms and drank gratefully.

"It's only been a few hours." Naruto said, answering Sasuke's question.

Sasuke nodded faintly, not ready to try speech again.

"The cops came back…" Naruto said. "They were talking to Kiba's mom. She refused to tell us what they said though."

Again Sasuke nodded, this time with a hint of fear. What would the police do to with him now? He may be old enough to get a job and live on his own, but he was, technically, homeless. At least until they finished using the house as a crime scene.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" Naruto asked softly. "No, obviously not, but what I mean –"

"Can you give me a few minutes alone?" Sasuke croaked. "I need to think…"

Naruto nodded right away and stood. He pecked Sasuke on the lips and silently left, closing the door behind him.

At once, Sasuke turned his thoughts to his now deceased family. There was a sharp sting in his chest when he thought about his mother, but thoughts of the rest of his family only conjured a dull ache. Itachi… That bought a lump of bile to his throat. His father… That was to be expected. Thinking about his father did nothing. He felt no emotion toward the man who had so casually and cruelly beaten him so often.

He found himself wondering if Madara had been there, and was murdered, but, in all honesty, it was more likely that Madara had been somehow involved in the murder, so he found it highly doubtful.

"_I wouldn't be lucky enough to get rid of my father and Madara in one go." _Sasuke thought bitterly. He laughed out loud at how cruel the statement was, but he couldn't help it… Those were two of the three men that ruined his childhood. The third was most likely awaiting his trial date.

What would he do now? The house would legally be his now, but he didn't want to go back there. He didn't want to face the scene of a thousand bad memories…

Sasuke stared out of Kiba's bedroom window. He could hear Hinata and Kiba talking in hushed voices somewhere near the window, most likely worried about him. Stars were twinkling merrily in the night sky while Sasuke sat and pondered his predicament. Time passed by, though how fast or slow was impossible to tell. When Sasuke finally shut his eyes, his worries were slightly fewer, though no less haunting.

_**XXX**_

Slowly, Sasuke opened his eyes to the afternoon light, pushing away the dreams of his bloodstained house and the corpses of his family. He rubbed his face sleepily and propped himself up onto his elbows. A mess of blond hair was visible at the foot of the bed, accompanied by the light snoring that Sasuke had grown accustomed to since he started sharing a room with Naruto.

Naruto had most likely come to check up on Sasuke at one point and not left, falling asleep on the chair he was sitting in with his head resting near Sasuke's feet. Gently, so as to not awaken the boy, Sasuke ran his fingers through his boyfriend's silky hair. His mind was curiously numb, as if his sleep had washed poison from his veins and left him recovering, but it felt good. This was what he needed.

Carefully, he got off of the bed and padded barefoot out of the bedroom, heading for the lounge. He was going down the hallway when he bumped into Tsume, whose eyes were red and puffy, like she had been crying.

"Sasuke!" she said when she saw him, "Are you alright?"

Sasuke sighed softly and shook his head.

"Where are Kiba and Hinata?" he asked.

An odd look crossed through Tsume's eyes, but a second later it had passed.

"They're in the living room," she said, "but I think we had better talk first."

Sasuke shook his head again. "I really need to talk to them. It's important."

Tsume sighed and nodded. "Alright, Sasuke. But we need to talk soon."

"I know, Tsume." Sasuke replied. He walked down the hallway and turned into the living room, where he found Hinata and Kiba half-dozing on couches. No doubt they had been awake all night worrying about him. He settled down next to Kiba, laid his head on his friend's shoulder and put an arm around his waist.

Kiba opened his eyes slightly and wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist, holding him tightly. He didn't speak, because he knew that speech wasn't what Sasuke needed right now. Sasuke looked into Kiba's earthy brown eyes and smiled faintly, then looked at Hinata as she slept. She seemed to be even smaller than usual, curled up on the couch with her head resting lightly on her hands.

Sasuke breathed in Kiba's scent, which had always had a pacifying effect on him. Kiba represented comfort to Sasuke, as well as a sense of security. He was Sasuke's rock, which he could cling to when things turned bad.

After a long time of simply laying there, Kiba spoke.

"Where's Naruto?" he asked.

"I left him to sleep." Sasuke replied. "He looked really tired, since he was up all night by me. I didn't have the heart to wake him up."

"Poor guy." Kiba murmured. "He was frantic, you know."

"I can guess…"

"It's rude to talk about other people when they're in the room." Naruto said from the doorway.

Sasuke looked around and gave a large, genuine smile at the sight of his boyfriend. He motioned for Naruto to join him and pulled the blond haired boy onto his lap, so that the three of them were all practically on top of one another.

Naruto rolled his eyes at Sasuke's antics. "I could have sat next to you, you know."

Sasuke shook his head. "No. This way, I have two of my favorite people right here by me. The third is snoring…"

He nodded toward Hinata, who was, indeed, snoring softly.

"Where's Shikamaru?" Naruto asked Kiba.

"He went out for a while." Kiba said. "He said that the atmosphere was getting bad, and he needed to breath."

He turned to Sasuke and added, "And he asked me to tell you you're in his thoughts. He was worried about you."

Before Sasuke could answer there was a stifled yawn, followed by Hinata stretching and opening her large silvery colored eyes. She glanced at the three boy's piled together on the couch and rolled her eyes.

"Do you guy's need a moment?" she asked mockingly. "I hope you three weren't making a yaoi scene while I was in the room."

Kiba grinned and licked the side of Sasuke's face while grabbing Naruto's butt. Sasuke and Naruto both pretended to enjoy it, and Hinata shuddered.

"I'll go make everyone some coffee."

She chuckled to herself as she stood and left the room.

"Has my mom spoken to you yet?" Kiba asked, and Sasuke shook his head.

"No, but she did say it's rather important. Do you know what it's about?"

Kiba shook his head. "No, she refused to tell me, Hina, or Naru-chan."

"Naru-chan?" Naruto exclaimed, going red. "Kiba!"

Kiba shrugged nonchalantly. "You're such a uke," he said to the blond. "I can't imagine Sasuke being the bottom between you two."

At that moment, Hana walked into the room. Her cheeks went slightly pink and she covered her ears with her hands.

"Ew!" she exclaimed. "I do _not _need to hear about Sasuke and Naruto!"

Naruto and Sasuke both scowled at Kiba, who laughed.

"Mom!" Hana yelled. "Kiba's advertizing Sasuke's sex life again!"

Kiba scowled at his sister. "You bitch, I'll get you back for that."

Tsume came into the room with an almost bored expression. "Kiba, stop embarrassing Sasuke and Naruto. Hana, stop trying to get Kiba into trouble."

They both huffed and didn't answer their mother.

"Sasuke," she said, "could we have that talk now? It's rather urgent."

Sasuke took a deep breath and nodded. He disentangled himself from Kiba and Naruto and followed Tsume into the kitchen. She offered Sasuke a tray of biscuits and sat down, and Sasuke mimicked her. He didn't take a biscuit, even though he was hungry. He didn't want to take a chance with eating if the news was going to be bad.

"Sasuke, the police were here again after you fell asleep." She started, and Sasuke nodded.

"They wanted you to go stay at your old house, but since you're still in college and have no job experience, they figured that it would be better to arrange with another family member for you to stay with them until you've graduated."

Sasuke groaned. He didn't need this.

"Who?" he asked.

"Uchiha Madara." Tsume answered, and Sasuke immediately shuddered

"I had a few words with them, though." She said, pursing her lips, "And that's what I wanted to talk to you about. I know that you're almost twenty years old now, and you only have another year until you're legally able to get your own place, but I was wondering…"

She trailed off, blushing slightly. Sasuke had no idea where she was going with this, but he was intrigued to know what she was talking about.

"Go on." He urged.

"I told the cops that I wouldn't let you stay at the college permanently, and that you need a family. So, I kind of offered to adopt you, so that you don't have to go to your family…"

Sasuke stared at her blankly.

"It's only a thought though." She said hastily. "I mean, you don't have to, since you'd need to sign the papers. But if you wanted to…"

"That would be great!" Sasuke exploded, fearful that she would change her mind. "I don't want to go to Madara! I can't stay with him, he'd rape me again!"

The kitchen went silent. Tsume stared at Sasuke in shock, her mouth hanging open. Sasuke froze. He hadn't meant to let that slip…

"What did you just say?" Tsume asked slowly.

Sasuke muttered something vague, but that didn't satisfy her.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you had better tell me this instant, or I'm going to the police right now with this"

"He didn't get it right." Sasuke said quickly. "He only tried to rape me. I was ten at the time."

Tsume nodded, her sharp eyes on his face.

"Why did you never tell Kiba?" she asked.

"Because he would have told you immediately." Sasuke replied. "I was scared of what Madara would have done."

Tsume nodded, obviously not pleased, but then her expression softened.

"Well, we can go file the adoption papers tomorrow if you'd like. The police said they would help."

Sasuke nodded, a little surprised that the authorities would be alright with such a fast adoption while he still had living relatives.

Tsume smiled at him, and he helped himself to a biscuit, suddenly feeling a lot better.

_**XXX**_

That night, Sasuke was curled against Naruto's side on a mattress they had put in the living room, tracing the lines of his chest with his fingertips as they tried to sleep.

"What are you thinking about?" Sasuke asked.

"Hmm? Oh, nothing important, really."

Sasuke nudged him slightly.

"I still want to know…"

Naruto sighed. "Well, I was thinking about my parents…"

"What about them?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"I was just thinking what they'd think about me. Well, about you and me I guess…"

A nervous sensation tingled in the pit of Sasuke's stomach.

"And?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not sure, but I think I'd rather tell them soon instead of waiting."

Sasuke nodded, subtly running his fingers lower down Naruto's torso.

"We still have two weeks of vacation left…" Naruto said musingly.

"Yeah…" Sasuke replied. His fingers reached the elastic of Naruto's boxers and he slowly scraped his nails along the skin there, making Naruto moan softly. He slipped a hand under the silky material, and was surprised to find that the blond was already sporting an erection. He slowly curled his fingers around Naruto's member and began stroking it slowly.

Naruto slid the boxers off of his hips and kicked them away, then moved on to Sasuke's. Once both boys were completely naked, they kissed passionately, grinding against one another. Sasuke moved his lips to Naruto's collarbone and began sucking and biting there, making the blond grind even harder into him.

"Fuck…" Naruto whispered into Sasuke's ear. "That feel's so good."

A pleasurable shiver shot through Sasuke, and he bit down a little too hard. He felt the skin break under his teeth and tasted a small trickle of warm blood. He felt Naruto's entire body go rigid and start to shake uncontrollably. Evidently, that was a major turn on for the blind…

"Ah! Sasuke!" Naruto cried out loudly as he came. The space between their bodies became wet, which aroused Sasuke and made him climax too.

"Holy shit…" Naruto panted. "That was incredible."

Sasuke grinned at his boyfriend.

"Who would have thought you're into the kinkier stuff…" he commented.

"Shut up." Naruto replied, gong red.

"So you like a little bit of blood? I'll keep that in mind for next time."

"I said shut up." Naruto mumbled, turning away. Sasuke laughed and stood up, intent on finding something they could clean up with.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly.

"Yes, love?" Sasuke said sweetly.

"Do you wanna go stay at my place for a few days with me?"

Sasuke froze in place. Did Naruto want to come out to his parents now of all times?

"After the adoption papers are signed and all, of course." Naruto amended. "I just really want you to myself, just for a week. And I want you there for when I, you know…"

Sasuke could see that Naruto was genuinely worried that he'd reject the offer. A slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips, and he ruffled Naruto's hair affectionately.

"I'd love to." He said.

"Really?" Naruto asked.

"No, I was just joking… Of course really, usuratonkachi…"

Naruto smiled broadly, ignoring the insult.

The signing of the adoption papers went smoothly, and they were back at the Inuzuka home before noon. Naruto had phoned his parents, and Tsume had given consent, so Sasuke was packed up and ready to spend a week with Naruto and his family.

"I'm nervous." Sasuke admitted, fidgeting restlessly while the clocked ticked away the time until he would meet his boyfriend's parents.

"Don't be." Naruto said. "My mom is great, and I know she'll be okay with it."

"And your dad?"

Naruto chuckled guiltily. "Honestly, I have no idea. He might be okay with it…"

"Or…?"

"Or he'll freak out and try to kill us both."

"What!?" Sasuke yelped, jumping to his feet and staring at Naruto.

Naruto just laughed. "I'm kidding Sasu." He said reassuringly, "I don't know how he's going to react, but my dad isn't the violent type."

Sasuke didn't look entirely convinced, but he kept quiet and fidgeted more incessantly.

"He's going to have an aneurism." Hinata commented dryly.

"Or faint." Kiba added.

"Maybe he'll throw up." Hana said hopefully.

"Kids!" Tsume reprimanded when Sasuke glowered.

"Thank you, Tsume." Sasuke said.

"You're welcome." Tsume replied. "And anyway, you're more likely to have an anxiety attack."

Sasuke gaped at her. "Not you too!"

Tsume grinned guiltily.

"There're here." Naruto said, peering out of the window.

"Oh fuck." Sasuke mumbled.

He ran to Kiba's room to fetch his bag, and when he returned he found Naruto's parents talking to Tsume.

"Mom, Dad," Naruto said when there was a break in the conversation. "This is Sasuke. He's the friend I invited over for the week…"

Naruto's mom looked at Sasuke and smiled broadly, while Naruto's father seemed to size Sasuke up.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sasuke." Naruto's mother said, and his father nodded.

"Thank you for allowing me to visit Naruto." Sasuke said, "And thank you for allowing him to come over to Kiba's place."

"Yeah," Kiba piped up behind him, "We always need help with driving my mom insane."

Naruto's father chuckled at that, and his mother tried to hide her smile when Tsume scowled at her son.

"Let's go," Naruto said, beaming, and Sasuke nodded.

"Bye Kiba," he said, "And Hinata and Shikamaru. I'll see you guys soon."

He turned to Tsume and gave her a hug, pouring all of his gratitude into that simple gesture.

"I'll see you in a week, Sasuke." Tsume said, tears forming in her eyes.

Sasuke choked for a second, then decided to say something he had always felt, but was only now really true.

"Bye, mom." He said quietly. "See you next week."

Tsume burst into tears and ran off, howling.

"What just happened?" Naruto's mother asked with a puzzled frown.

"I'll explain later." Naruto muttered, waving goodbye to his friends. "See you guys in a week!"

"Bye!" they all chorused, giving cheery waves. Shikamaru's, of course, was slightly half hearted.

Sasuke followed Naruto and his parents to their car and climbed into the back seat, feeling more nervous by the second, but Naruto was perfectly at ease. Glaring at his boyfriend's casual demeanor, he stared pointedly out of the window as they began to drive.

_**XXX**_

Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of a nicely sized two story house. It wasn't as big as Kiba's house, but not everyone had parents that where rolling in money.

The house was canary yellow, with bright orange strips running down the walls at random intervals.

Sasuke blinked rapidly, afraid that the over-all brightness would blind him.

"Sorry about the eye-sore." Naruto's father, Minato, said with a grimace. "Kushina went a little too far with the paint job a few years back."

Kushina Uzumaki glared at her husband. "You're sleeping outside tonight."

Naruto laughed at that, and Sasuke felt more relaxed. Their humor was the perfect remedy to lighten the mood.

As They got out of the car, Kushina turned to them.

"Dinner is at seven," she said, "but until then, feel free to do what ever you want. Oh, and Sasuke?"

"Yes?" Sasuke asked, his nervousness returning.

"Please don't be shy about anything here. Make yourself at home."

Sasuke smiled at her. "Thank you."

Sasuke and Naruto raced inside the house and up the staircase. They burst into a room that could only be Naruto's, with anime posters adorning the walls in between his posters of band and celebrities.

Sasuke put his bag down and walked over to the one wall, where there was a collage of celebrity pictures on a pin-board.

"Wow, Naruto," Sasuke said. "Are you sure you weren't gay already before you met me?"

Naruto scowled at him. "Yes. Why?"

Sasuke sniggered, pointing at the board. "Because there are at least fifty pictures of hot topless guys up here."

He pointed toward one that he personally found particularly attractive. It was a Native American guy with short, spiky black hair and a body that seemed to have been sculpted by angels. He had been playing in some vampire or werewolf movie a while back, one that Sasuke had never been interested in seeing, but he had always thought the actor was hot.

"He's a good actor." Naruto said defensively.

"And he's smoking hot." Sasuke said.

Naruto pouted and crossed his arms, and Sasuke decided to intervene before a fight broke out.

"You're still hotter…" he whispered, stepping up to the blond and locking their lips together. Naruto moaned into Sasuke's mouth and slipped his tongue inside, while their hands roamed each others bodies.

Before they could do much else, there was an abrupt knock on the door and they broke apart quickly as the door opened, revealing Kushina.

"There's some lunch downstairs." She said with a sweet smile. She looked between the two boys, who were both red in the face and looking guilty. She gave them a speculative look before retreating, and Sasuke breathed a heavy sigh of relief, but he wasn't sure if Kushina had seen anything or not.

"That was close." Naruto said, blissfully unaware. "I'm all for them knowing, but I don't want them finding out that way…"

Sasuke just nodded. It was rather obvious that she'd know sooner or later, because the two boys couldn't keep their hands off of each other for long, and she was bound to catch them at some point. Eventually, they would slip up and reveal too much at the wrong time, and it only took one kiss or touch to tell the entire story.

All he knew was that it was going to be an interesting week…

_**XXXXX**_

A/N: I guess you could call that a filler chapter. I hope it was good, there's more drama and some action to come, as well as heartbreak, angst, and tons of fluff and yaoi!

For those of you who are wondering, the pictures that Sasuke was looking at were of Taylor Lautner, one of the hottest men on the planet… Haha…

PLEASE REVIEW!!!!

Press the green button… Press it… Come on… :-)


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does. But he doesn't own me, I was never a character in the series, and I was never even a ninja… how sad. But I do own a hell of a lot of Naruto merchandise and anime!

**Warnings: **Yaoi, language, the usual…

A/N: I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter, I had a bit of a hard time writing it. Here's the next installment!

_**Chapter 10**_

Sasuke sat next to Naruto on his bed, playing some or another ninja-based fighting game on his playstation. There wasn't much space between the two boys, and their legs kept brushing against one another subconsciously.

"I win." Naruto said, throwing down his controller. Sasuke glared at the screen, as though to blame the game instead of himself.

"What do you want to do next?" Sasuke asked, lying down on his back and stretching his muscles.

"I know what I want to do…" Naruto said, placing a hand on Sasuke's chest and kissing him heatedly. Sasuke moaned into the kiss, but all the while he was straining his ears, listening out for any sound of approaching footsteps.

His hand snaked under Naruto's shirt and he grazed his nails across the blond's skin.

Footsteps sounded in the hall, and Sasuke pulled away, pointing at the door. Naruto scowled and folded his arms as Kushina opened the door.

"Dinner is ready." She said, smiling.

"Thank you, Mrs. Uzumaki." Sasuke replied.

"It's Kushina." Naruto's mother corrected. "Just Kushina."

Sasuke smiled and nodded.

"We'll be down in a minute." Naruto said petulantly.

She closed the door, and Naruto gave a strangled growl.

"She is such a cock-blocker!" he accused.

"She doesn't know what she's doing." Sasuke said, "We can't blame her."

"I'm so fucking horny." Naruto complained. "I can't keep doing this."

"We've only been here for a few hours." Sasuke said with a giggle. "It can't be that bad."

Naruto glared at him. "In that case, I'll just jerk off tonight, since you don't seem to get horny."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes and cupped his hand over Naruto's groin. The blond's eyes snapped shut and he hissed softly, pressing against the hand.

"Would you really?" Sasuke whispered softly. "You know I can do it better than you can. Besides…" he removed his hand and stood up, "it's rude to play with other people's toys."

Naruto scowled again, but stood as well. They headed down to the kitchen and sat at the table, greeting Minato.

"What have you boys been up to all afternoon?" Minato asked.

"_Playing games, making out, normal boy stuff…" _Sasuke thought, and had to suppress a laugh.

"Just played on my playstation and talked." Naruto said. From his grin, Sasuke knew he was also thinking about the kissing.

Minato nodded. "You should spend some time outside as well, it's not good to be cooped up the whole time."

"Dad," Naruto said in a withering tone, "We spent all our time outside at Kiba's place. It's not like we sit in front of the TV all day."

Minato rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. What ever you say, Naruto."

Kushina served dinner, and conversation began to flow while they ate.

"So Sasuke," Minato said, "How long have you and Naruto known each other?"

"Since the beginning of the semester." Sasuke replied. "When he got there, he joined up with my group of friends."

Minato nodded, chewing on a roast potato.

"What classes are you taking?" Kushina asked.

While Sasuke listed off the subjects, he noticed Naruto stifling a fake yawn and aimed a kick at him under the table. His eyes bulged out and he glared at Sasuke, who fought very hard to not smirk.

After dinner, Sasuke carried his plate to the sink.

"Wanna go play some more?" Naruto asked. "I bet I'll beat you again."

Sasuke shook his head. "Actually, I was thinking about taking a shower."

Naruto sighed. "Fine."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at his boyfriend's stupidity. "So, Naruto, would you show me where the bathroom is?" he asked, although he already knew where the bathroom was.

"But you – oh…" he said, realization dawning on his face. He turned to his parents.

"Sasuke's going to take a shower," he told them, "and I'm going to shower after him."

Kushina nodded. "That's fine, dear. You know your father and I shower in the mornings."

With a nod and an excited bound, he pulled Sasuke out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

"You're so dense sometimes." Sasuke said to him.

"Shut up." Naruto shot back.

"You said you where horny." Sasuke grinned. "And I thought of where we could take care of that."

Naruto just smirked as he pushed the bathroom door open.

They locked the door behind them and Sasuke made his way over to the shower. Opening the doors, he reached in and turned the taps on, waiting for the water to heat up.

Naruto, of course, wanted to get started already. He came up behind Sasuke and kissed the back of his neck while tugging at his belt and shirt. He pushed his hips forward, and Sasuke noticed a rather prominent bulge press against his rear.

"Over excited much?" he asked with a frown, but Naruto didn't reply. Having managed to get Sasuke's belt off, he pulled down his pants and took hold of his limp member through his boxer-briefs. Sasuke pushed against the hand, reaching behind him to take of Naruto's pants, only to find that they were already on the floor, accompanied by his underwear. When his hand touched the bare erection, a jolt shot straight through to his groin, making him harden painfully while he lightly stroked the blond.

Naruto was moaning in his ear, whispering dirty things while thrusting into Sasuke's hand, but Sasuke wasn't about to let him finish that early. Oh no, he had plans for his little blond…

He let go of Naruto and stepped into the shower, motioning for him to follow. Naruto gave a slight whimper, but quickly joined him under the warm water.

"You know, Naruto," Sasuke said, "We've fooled around in bed a lot since we started going out."

Naruto nodded impatiently, wondering what the point was. He wasn't a very patient person.

"I think it's time we went all the way, don't you?"

Sasuke saw Naruto's look of surprise, and saw him flinch unintentionally.

For some reason, this turned Sasuke on even more and he slowly advanced toward Naruto. He placed one hand on the blond's shoulder and leaned closer to whisper in his ear.

"I want to fuck you in this shower, Naruto." He whispered in a dark tone. "I want to push you against that wall and screw you hard."

Naruto gulped, both afraid and turned on by this.

"Do you want me to do it, Naruto?" Sasuke asked, grabbing Naruto's length and squeezing lightly. He tilted his head down and ran his lips over Naruto's shoulder.

"Yes…" Naruto moaned, surprising himself.

"Yes what?" Sasuke whispered.

"I want you to fuck me…" Naruto panted. "I want you in me…"

Sasuke smiled and bit Naruto's shoulder, making him cry out in pleasure.

"Sshhh… We don't want your parents to know, now do we?"

Naruto shook his head, pushing his hips against Sasuke and moaning.

"Are you going to give me what I want?"

Naruto nodded fervently, craving his boyfriend's touch.

"Good boy…"

He kissed Naruto roughly, pushing him against the shower wall and wrapping his hand around the blond's member.

Sasuke heard Naruto moan his name into his ear and pressed hard against him.

"Wait right here, baby." Sasuke whispered. He stepped out of the shower and went to his discarded pants, fishing around in a pocket. Luckily, he had planned this, and had placed a small bottle of lubricant in his pants before dinner.

Walking back into the shower, he grinned an oh so perverted grin at his flustered blond boy and opened the bottle.

"Face the wall." Sasuke instructed. Naruto blushed and hesitated, but did as he was told.

With a wide grin, Sasuke poured some of the cherry scented lube into his hand. He lathered it onto his erection and pressed against Naruto's back.

"Relax." He whispered in a seductive tone.

He heard Naruto take a deep breath.

Positioning the tip of his hard-on at Naruto's entrance, he began pushing in slowly. Every time that Naruto would tense up, he stopped, allowing him time to adjust before he continued.

After a short while, Sasuke was completely sheathed in his boyfriend, and he stopped.

Naruto pushed back against him, moaning.

"Move, damn it." Naruto said.

"Beg for it." Sasuke whispered seductively.

Naruto went quiet for a moment, and Sasuke assumed that he wouldn't do it, but then…

"Please, Sasuke…" the blond pleaded, "Please fuck me."

Sasuke smirked and thrust into Naruto, making the blond gasp in pleasure.

"Oh, yes," he panted, "do that again, harder."

Sasuke did so, and the blond had to put his hands on the wall to steady himself.

Sasuke put his arm around Naruto's waist and wrapped his hand around Naruto's throbbing erection, pumping it to the same rhythm of his increasingly hard thrusts, and they were soon both moaning in ecstasy. When Sasuke neared his orgasm, his hand tightened slightly, pushing Naruto over the edge first. He felt Naruto's warm juices coat his hand, and his muscles crashing down around him, but gritted his teeth, letting the blond enjoy his orgasm before he himself did. When the last ripples of pleasure subsided, Sasuke began thrusting even harder, and after four thrusts he came deep inside Naruto, his whole body shaking with the power of his orgasm.

For a few moments afterwards, Sasuke remained inside of Naruto, then he slowly slid out of him. He collapsed against the shower wall, breathing heavily.

Naruto's body was shaking slightly as he braced himself against the opposite wall.

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered. "Did I…"

Sasuke felt bad now. He hadn't meant to hurt his boyfriend.

"Are you okay?"

Naruto began to laugh. His entire body shook as he did so, and he turned to face Sasuke with a glazed look in his eyes.

"That was incredible, Sasuke." Naruto said, sliding down the wall so as to sit on the floor, still laughing. Sasuke grinned back at him and sat next to him, wrapping an arm across his shoulders.

"You gave me a scare." He told the blond.

Naruto shook his head. "Only because you were too stupid to see how much I enjoyed that."

Sasuke leaned his head against Naruto's shoulder.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too."

_**XXX**_

Later that evening, after another few rounds of Naruto's inane ninja game, they cuddled up together in bed.

"Naruto?" Sasuke said.

"Hmm?"

"When are we going to tell them?"

Naruto went silent, considering the question. "Tomorrow night, at dinner."

"At dinner?" Sasuke queried.

"It's the best time, when my parents are both together and they're relaxed."

Sasuke nodded. "I guess so. Tomorrow night then."

"Goodnight Sasuke." Naruto whispered sleepily.

"Goodnight, love. Sleep well."

Sasuke hoped that sleep would come easily, but that wasn't the case. He laid awake for hours, staring at the roof with a knot of nervous anticipation in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help but worry about how Naruto's parents were going to react to the news.

Eventually, well after midnight, Sasuke carefully got out of bed and pulled his jeans on. Bare-chested, he went downstairs and sat on a comfortable sofa in the living room. The moonlight glinting through the window gave his already pale chest an eerie glow, making him grin. For a lack of anything better to do, he pulled out his phone and used it to log into MSN.

He scanned through his online contacts, finding no one of interest to talk to, and was about to log out when he received a message.

_ImmortalSilver has logged in. _

Sasuke snorted and quickly typed a message.

_DarkAvenger: Hey Hidan, you're up late._

_ImmortalSilver: Look who's talking…_

_DarkAvenger: Yeah, well, I don't sleep much anyway._

_ImmortalSilver: Where's Naruto?_

_DarkAvenger: In bed, sleeping. Did you hear that we got together?_

_ImmortalSilver: Yeah, I did. Congrats. _

_ImmortalSilver: Did I apologize for being involved in Kiba's scheme?_

_DarkAvenger: No, not yet. But since the scheme somehow worked, I'm not holding grudges, so no worries. _

_ImmortalSilver: Awesome. I hate apologizing anyway. _

_ImmortalSilver: So what's on your mind, Sasu-kun? _

_DarkAvenger: Naruto wants to tell his parents about us tomorrow. I'm nervous. _

_ImmortalSilver: I don't blame you! I would be pissing in my pants!_

_DarkAvenger: Thanks for that image, Hida. _

_ImmortalSilver: You're welcome. Now what are you going to say?_

_DarkAvenger: I'm not saying a word. It's all up to Naruto._

_ImmortalSilver: … Good luck with that, Sasuke. _

_DarkAvenger: Thanks… Anyway, cya at school, I'm gonna try to get some sleep. _

_ImmortalSilver: G'night sexy. _

Sasuke logged out and put his phone back in his pocket. With a sigh, he traipsed back up the stairs and crawled into bed next to his blissfully sleeping boyfriend. Tomorrow was going to be a long, long day…

When dawn came, Sasuke's eyes opened slowly. He could feel a pressure on his abdomen, and he carefully glanced downwards. Naruto was straddling his waist, grinning maniacally, waiting for Sasuke to wake up.

"Morning Sasu," he said.

"Morning." Sasuke replied. "Um, why are you straddling me?"

"You seemed a little excited, and I felt bad for just leaving you like that." Naruto said innocently, grinding his bottom against him. Sasuke immediately became aware of his erection, and bit his lip.

"Naruto, we're gonna get ourselves caught…"

Naruto pulled a face at him. "Just shut up and fuck me, Sasuke."

The smell of lube reached Sasuke's nose, and he felt Naruto pulling his boxers off, releasing his erection. He squirmed slightly in pleasure as Naruto massaged the lubrication onto him, and gasped loudly when the blond took the tip and placed it against his entrance.

"Naruto, you're such a nymphomaniac."

"Shut up." Naruto muttered, kissing Sasuke gently. He began to lower himself onto Sasuke's member and before long he was completely filled up.

Sasuke tensed up, enjoying the feeling of being sheathed inside of his blond boyfriend. He rocked back and forth slowly, not wanting to rush, and not really caring about being caught any more.

He thrusted into Naruto, all the while watching the blond play with himself. It was an incredible turn on to watch that while they had sex, and almost too soon he could feel his orgasm building up. With a final thrust, he came, and so did Naruto, coating Sasuke's chest in his stickiness, just as the door opened.

"Naruto, are you awa – AAAAAAAAAAH!"

Kushina slammed the door, and they could hear her running toward the staircase.

For a few seconds, they were frozen in place, with Sasuke's cock still lodged inside of Naruto.

"Oh god…" Naruto muttered, looking fearful. "Fuck!"

Sasuke slid out of him and grabbed his boxers. "Get dressed, Naru." He said. "We need to talk to her immediately."

"I can't…" Naruto said, still frozen on the bed.

"Would you like for her to phone your dad and tell him?" Sasuke questioned. "We need to talk to her before she tells him."

Naruto nodded and began dragging his clothes on. They bolted out of the room and descended the staircase slowly.

Sasuke expected Kushina to either be crying or screaming, but he couldn't hear anything. They paused by the doorway to the kitchen.

"Check what she's doing." Naruto whispered to him. Sasuke peered around the door carefully and quickly pulled out of sight again.

"She's pouring a shot of whiskey into her coffee…" He said.

"Shit, fuck, crap." Naruto muttered. "Mom doesn't drink…"

Before Sasuke could answer, Kushina's voice called out to them.

"I can hear you, you know." She said, and her voice was slightly shaky. "Come in already."

Like two schoolboys caught doing something wrong, they hung their heads and dawdled into the kitchen, each refusing to look into Kushina's eyes.

"Boys…" she said. "I – I'm not upset with you. I just… I really did not need to find out like that, did I? I mean, I have no problem with you being gay or bi or whatever, but no mother wants to walk in and see that…"

"We were going to tell you and dad tonight." Naruto whispered.

Sasuke looked up at Kushina, who was smiling slightly now.

"But you couldn't control yourself, could you?" She teased. Naruto looked up, mortified, but then saw that his mother was only joking with him.

"So you don't have a problem with me being gay?" he asked, and Kushina shook her head.

"But I must ask, what's going on between you two?"

She directed that at Sasuke, who shuffled his feet.

"Um, well, Naruto and I are dating…" he murmured, and Kushina smiled.

"That's great. Congratulations."

Naruto still seemed to be struggling. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, staring at the floor.

"Naruto, I'm happy for the two of you." Kushina said kindly.

"Thanks mom." Naruto said quietly.

"I'm not sure if you two should be sharing a room, though…" she said dubiously, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Mom!" Naruto exclaimed. "We aren't kids anymore, you know."

Kushina winced. "True… You're going to have to tell your father tonight, Naruto."

"I know." Naruto said, sounding scared.

"I'll be here to help you." Sasuke said comfortingly. "I won't make you do it alone."

"Thank you, Sasuke." Naruto said, pecking him on the lips.

"That is so cute." Kushina gushed. "Weird, but cute."  
Naruto laughed. "Mom, you are insane."

_**XXX**_

Dinner was almost completely silent that night. Minato had tried, unsuccessfully, to start a conversation a few times, but the tension at the table was thick enough to cut with a knife. Even Kushina was unnaturally silent, which made Minato nervous. Something was definitely wrong.

Sasuke kept shooting Naruto nervous glances, but the blond kept his face down, focusing intently on what he was eating rather than look up. He tried to nudge Naruto, but landed up bumping Kushina instead, who looked like she wanted to burst out laughing. This made Sasuke grin softly, and Kushina cracked. She laughed loudly, making Sasuke laugh too, and both Minato and Naruto jumped in fright.

"What the hell?" Minato asked, looking between Kushina and Sasuke.

"It's not funny." Naruto gritted out from between clenched teeth angrily.

"It is a little." Sasuke admitted.

"Naruto, just do it." Kushina said softly.

Naruto sighed and nodded, looking up at Minato.

"Dad, there's something I need to tell you…"

What is it, son?" Minato asked with concern etched onto his face, "You know you can tell me anything, right?"

Naruto nodded faintly. He looked at Kushina, then at Sasuke. With a deep breath, he turned back to Minato.

"Dad, I'm gay… And I'm dating Sasuke…"

There was silence, but not the good kind. It was like the air had solidified.

"…"

"Shit." Naruto muttered.

It was an hour later, and Sasuke was still lying on his back on the sofa, an icepack pressed to his throbbing forehead.

Naruto was next to him, holding his hand and whispering apologies non stop, while Kushina was talking to Minato in the kitchen.

"I'm so sorry." Naruto said again.

"It's not your fault." Sasuke repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. "Your dad just went a little crazy."

That was an understatement. Minato had literally pushed the table over and grabbed Sasuke by the front of his shirt, pinning him to the wall. Sasuke wriggled and tried to get away, and landed up kicking Minato in the groin accidentally.  
he apologized profusely, but Minato pushed him away and stood up, leaning on the upturned table. The table gave way under the weight and flipped up, hitting Sasuke on the forehead hard and making him fall unconscious. He woke up several minutes later, to the sound of Kushina screaming at Minato while Naruto was crouched over him, checking to make sure he was okay.

"He went more than crazy, Sasuke." Naruto said darkly. "I think I should call Kiba. Tsume will come and fetch you and you can get away from this."

Sasuke shook his head, ignoring the pain that it caused.

"And leave you here alone with him? No chance."

"It'll be fine, Sasuke." Naruto said unconvincingly.

"No. Either I'm staying here, or you're going back to Kiba's place with me."

Kushina and Minato walked into the room, and Making Naruto and Sasuke pull away from each other.

Minato sighed. "I'm sorry, boys. I didn't mean to react like that. Especially to you, Sasuke. That was uncalled for."

Sasuke nodded and looked away.

"I – I don't have a problem with it." Minato said, sounding properly chastised. "You just caught me off guard, that's all."

"Should I rather go back to Kiba's place?" Sasuke asked Kushina, "So that you guys have some space?"

Kushina's eyes were like chips of ice.

"No, Sasuke. You will stay here, and heaven help the fool that takes issue with it."

The fierceness in her tone made Sasuke cringe momentarily, but at the same time he was touched by it.

"Let's go to bed." Naruto said, not looking at his father. "Goodnight mom."

He walked out of the room without glancing at his father.

"Goodnight Kushina, Goodnight Mr. Uzumaki." Sasuke said, hurrying after the blond.

He caught up to Naruto as the blond was walking into his room. He grabbed his arm and turned him around.

"Hey, are you alright?" he asked.

Naruto smiled at him ruefully. "Actually, I am. I just did that to show my father that I'm upset with him. I really am okay though, Sasu. You're staying here with me, so how can I possibly be upset?"

Sasuke smiled and kissed Naruto deeply. "I love you."

"Go lie down, Sasuke." Naruto said, "I'll get you some aspirin for your head."

Sasuke stretched out on Naruto's bed and smiled to himself. This had been an interesting holiday so far…

_**XXXXX**_

A/N: There you go! Hope it was okay, and please review!!! I'm hoping to hit 100 reviews soon.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is not mine. I own nothing to do with it.

**Warnings: **Yaoi, language, the usual…

A/N: I must admit, I'm a little disappointed. I got very few reviews for the last chapter, and I normally get a heck of a lot more. Oh well, I hope you guys'll like this chapter better.

Also, **please read the A/N at the bottom!**

_**Chapter 11**_

Another day had passed, and Sasuke was sitting at the dinner table with Naruto and his parents again. Naruto was still not talking to his father, and nor was Kushina. The incident the previous night was still fresh in their minds.

Sasuke prodded and poked his lasagna around his plate, wondering what to say.

"Um, Mr. Uzumaki, can you pass me the salt?" he asked sheepishly. Minato looked shocked that Sasuke was speaking to him, but did so.

"Please call me Minato." He said.

Sasuke smiled at him. "How was work today?"

"It was alright, nothing all that special. And your day?"

Sasuke glanced sideways at Naruto. "It was pretty good. We spent most of the day in the garden."

Naruto shot Sasuke a look of pure venom, to which Sasuke simply rolled his eyes.

"I was thinking," Minato said. "Tomorrow is Saturday, and I don't have to work, so why don't we go out for the day?"

Kushina's face brightened noticeably. "That sounds wonderful, Minato."

"You're so cheap." Naruto muttered to his mother, earning him an elbow in the ribs from her.

"And you can call your friend Kiba's mother and invite them to join us." Minato said to Sasuke.

Sasuke beamed at him. "Thank you, Minato. That would be great."

Naruto grumbled at Sasuke.

"And Naruto gets to pick where we go." Minato concluded.

"Can we go to the water resort back home?" Naruto asked excitedly, bouncing in his chair. Sasuke rolled his eyes, while Kushina muttered the word 'cheap' under her breath.

Minato frowned and hesitated. "Hmm, we can, but then we should rather spend the night there, since it's a long drive. Sasuke, you'd better give Kushina Tsume's number so that they can talk and see what can be arranged."

Sasuke nodded and grabbed a piece of paper from the kitchen counter, scribbling down Tsume's number. Kushina immediately left to phone, and Naruto was still bouncing excitedly.

"Calm down, Naruto." Sasuke said.

"At least he stopped glaring at me." Minato muttered to Sasuke, who had to stifle a laugh.

Naruto bounded out of the room as his mother came back in, smiling.

"Tsume and the kids will be here at about five tomorrow morning." She said. "So we all need to be up at about four, alright?"

Sasuke nodded. "It'll be difficult to get Naruto awake that early."

Kushina nodded. "It'll be fine long as you don't keep him awake all night."

Sasuke blushed and Minato gave an uncomfortable cough.

"I know I said I'm okay with them dating, but I really don't want to hear about it."

"And if I have my way you never will." Sasuke said, darting for the door. As he reached it, he heard Kushina say, "It looks like you've been having your way frequently."

Sasuke choked on that and ran up the stairs to find his boyfriend.

He opened the door and found Naruto sitting on his bed, staring blankly out of the window, his eyes unfocused. He sat gingerly next to him and put his arms around the blond's shoulders.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Hmm?" Naruto said, looking at Sasuke."

"I asked if you're alright. You seem kind of spaced out."

Naruto frowned. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist and pulled him onto his lap.

"You're my boyfriend," he said, "and I'm going to worry about you whether you like it or not."

Naruto muttered something under his breath and pulled himself free of Sasuke's grip, moving across the room and sitting on a chair with his arms folded over his chest.

"Well, now I _know _something I wrong." Sasuke said drily.

Naruto ignored him, staring out of the window.

"I'm going to go sit outside." Sasuke said. "If you want to talk, you know where to find me."

Again he was ignored. He crossed the room and kissed Naruto's cheek, then left and headed down the staircase. He opened the back door and walked onto the porch their, spotting Minato sitting on the porch steps with a cigarette.

"Hey." Sasuke said, sitting next to him. Minato nodded and took a long drag of his cigarette.

"Naruto is upset, isn't he?" Minato asked.

"How'd you know?"

Minato took another deep drag, staring off into the cool night air for a few moments before answering.

"It's because he's going home. There are a lot of memories in that town, both good and bad. We moved away from there about two years ago, to a different city, before we came here. And every time we go back Naruto gets upset."

Sasuke nodded solemnly. Minato offered him the cigarette, and with a mental shrug Sasuke took it and took a drag. The smoke burned his throat and chest, and he coughed slightly, but after a second he took another drag and it didn't hurt so bad. In fact, he found that it relaxed him.

"How long does it last?" he asked as he exhaled the bluish-grey smoke and passing the cigarette back.

"He'll be fine tomorrow morning." Minato said. "But when we leave to come back he'll drop again for about a week. It's hard for him to go back there."

Sasuke sighed. Minato lit another cigarette and handed one to Sasuke. They sat in silence, smoking for a while, before Sasuke spoke again.

"I'm sorry about last night." He said. "We didn't think that you'd react like that."

Minato chuckled ruefully. "It's me that should be apologizing, Sasuke. If you make Naruto happy, and you love him like you say you do, then I'm happy for the two of you."

Sasuke smiled. "Thank you, Minato. I really do love Naruto, and I think he loves me too."

"He does." Minato replied. "I can see it. The way that he looks at you proves it, since he never even looked at Karin that way."

"Karin?" Sasuke inquired, looking confused.

"His ex-girlfriend." Minato explained. "They were pretty serious, for the most part, but he never showed her the level of adoration he seems to have for you."

Sasuke nodded, not sure if he wanted to hear about Naruto's ex's. Then again, Naruto had to see Hidan almost every day while they were at college, so he had no room to talk.

"There's a good chance you'll meet Karin tomorrow," Minato said suddenly, "since she works at the water resort we're going to."

"Oh…"

Minato grimaced at the coldness of Sasuke's voice. "Sorry."

Sasuke took one last drag of his cigarette stubbed it out in the ashtray.

"I'd better get up to Naruto." He said. "Thanks for the talk, Minato."

He re-entered the house and traipsed up the stairs. Inside of Naruto's bedroom, he found the blond curled up under his blankets. Sasuke stripped down to his boxers and crawled in next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist and kissing the back of his neck softly.

"You smell like smoke." Naruto said accusingly.

"Yeah, um, I was talking to your dad, and he offered me one…"

Naruto turned to face him, and Sasuke saw that there was no anger or irritation there, only curiosity.

"Since when do you smoke?"

"I don't." Sasuke answered truthfully. "But I was a little stressed, and the offer was there…"

Naruto nodded and smiled faintly at Sasuke's worried expression. "Its okay, Sasu. I occasionally smoke with my dad when I'm upset or stressed out."

Sasuke kissed Naruto and held him close, feeling the other's heartbeat through their bare chests.

"I love you, Sasuke." Naruto murmured.

"I love you too." Sasuke replied, then hesitated. "You're dad said we might see Karin tomorrow at the zoo."

Naruto seemed to freeze up in his arms, and he quickly gave him a reassuring kiss.

"I hadn't thought of that." Naruto mumbled to himself.

"Hey, I'm not really the jealous type." Sasuke said, making Naruto snort.

"There's nothing to be jealous of, Sasuke. She has nothing on you."

Sasuke smiled and buried his face in the crook of Naruto's neck. "You're dad said the same thing."

Naruto murmured something in his ear, but Sasuke had already dropped off into sleep.

_**XXX**_

It was still dark outside when Kushina shook them awake gently, murmuring about getting up. Sasuke rubbed the sleep from his eyes, blinking in the darkness of the room and trying to focus his eyes. Naruto had already gotten out of bed, and was rummaging in his cupboard for fresh clothing. Sasuke was about to do the same, before he realized that his morning hardness had once again risen to the occasion.

"Naruto…" he called in a whiny voice. "I need some help."

Naruto came over to him, grinning. "It's really not that difficult to get out of bed, Uchiha."

Sasuke grunted at him. He took his hand and pressed it firmly against his erection, unable to restrain his moan as it made contact. Naruto froze and mumbled, "Oh."

Several minutes and two orgasms later, Sasuke was getting dressed and shoving spare clothing into an overnight bag. He shouldered the bag and went downstairs with Naruto, his stomach rumbling loudly. As they entered the kitchen, they were greeted by the smell of pancakes, as well as Kiba, Hinata, and Shikamaru all digging in to them.

"Save some for us!" Sasuke yelled, grabbing a plate and filling it quickly.

"Hello to you too, Sasuke." Hinata said, rolling her eyes. Kiba and Shikamaru raised a hand in greeting, their mouths to full to vocalize a greeting.

Naruto said his hello's and began to eat as Sasuke drenched his pancakes in maple syrup. Tsume came in and ruffled his hair affectionately, and Sasuke smiled at her.

"We're going to leave as soon as you're done eating." Kushina said, busying herself with making coffee.

"How long is the drive there?" Sasuke asked.

"About four hours." Minato said, coming into the kitchen half dressed, still pulling his shirt on. Sasuke noticed Kiba's eyes linger on Minato's midriff and choked on his pancake. He would definitely reserve that memory for later use to make Kiba blush.

They finished their food and washed their plates off before putting their bags into Tsume's van. Piling in, they made themselves comfortable as the long drive began, with Naruto snoring on Sasuke's shoulder. Kiba and Sasuke were talking quietly, and Shikamaru was staring out of the window at the clouds; a pass time of his.

Time became meaningless as they drove, and Sasuke nodded off at one point against Naruto's warm body. His dreams were vague, brief flashes of colors, noise and places. When Tsume woke him up, he felt groggy and disorientated.

"We're here, guys." Kushina said with a smile. Naruto was practically bouncing in his seat with excitement.

"How much sugar did he have this morning?" Hinata asked, eyeing the blond warily. He gave her the finger, only to be smacked on the head by his mother.

"Come on, guys." Minato said cheerfully. "The sun and water awaits us!"

They climbed out of the car, with Sasuke blinking furiously in the bright light, and took the bags with their swimming stuff in it.

Kushina and Tsume got back into the car, off to rent accommodation for the night, and Minato led them into the resort with a grin that was nearly as wide as Naruto's. At first, Sasuke wondered what the fuss was about, but when they entered the resort he could understand it.

"It's huge!" Kiba exclaimed.

"It's brilliant." Hinata said with a nod.

The water resort was gigantic, with slides, rides, pools, food courts, and people everywhere. The whole place was alive with movement and color, and Sasuke's eyes couldn't move fast enough to catch all that was going on. He felt a rush of excitement as they went inside.

"Have fun, kids!" Minato said to them, pointing toward the bathrooms.

"Have fun in the bathroom?" Shikamaru asked confusedly, glancing at Naruto and Sasuke. Minato blushed heavily and shook his head so hard that he pulled a muscle in his neck.

"That's not what I meant." He croaked out, massaging his neck, and Sasuke laughed. They went to change into their swimming trunks, and came back into the bright sun, where Hinata was waiting for them, already in her costume.

"Let's go." She said excitedly.

She led the way toward one of the largest pools, one that had a massive waterslide attached to it.

"Let's go up there!" Kiba said excitedly, pointing to the top of the tower where the slide started. They nodded in agreement and dragged Shikamaru along with them.

Upon reaching the top, Shikamaru made a valiant attempt to escape, claiming that he had left his wallet at the bottom of the tower, but Sasuke and Kiba grabbed him and pulled him over to the slide.

"Hey, no horse play up here, please!" a girl with thick black hair and glasses said, coming over to them. Her bikini had the resorts name scrawled across it.

"We're not going to push him down." Kiba explained. "We just want to show him that it isn't all that high up."

The girl looked skeptical, but didn't say a word as they took Shikamaru to the edge.

"See, Shika?" Kiba said. "It's not all that bad.

"It looks like fun." Sasuke added.

"Fuck you both." Shikamaru said vehemently, backing away quickly. Sasuke laughed at him while Kiba simply shook his head.

"I thought he'd gotten over his fear of heights." Kiba commented.

"Apparently not." Naruto said, coming up behind them. Before Sasuke could say anything, there was a loud squeal and a rush of movement, which knocked him onto the slide. Flailing, Sasuke slid down backwards at great speeds, hitting the water at the end with enough force to bruise his back.

"Son of a mother fucking bitch!" Sasuke yelled as he surfaced, spitting out a mouthful of water. He looked up the tower and saw four figures rushing down the steps, while another was speeding down the slide. Sasuke moved out of the way just in time to dodge Naruto's body, and when he surfaced, he looked furious.

"Sasuke!" he exclaimed, "Are you alright?"

Sasuke nodded, touching his back gingerly. "I think so."

"I'm going to kill that fucking bitch." Naruto growled in a low tone.

"What bitch?" Sasuke asked, but his question was answered when Kiba, Shikamaru, and the resort employee came diving into the water.

"You okay?" Kiba asked instantly, but Sasuke didn't reply. Naruto had just murmured a name. Karin.

Sasuke was glaring daggers at the girl. She had slung her arm around Naruto's waist and was asking why he jumped on the slide so quickly.

"Is it a problem Karin?" the blond asked, still angry.

"Well no, baby, but it was reckless."

Baby? Now Sasuke wanted to kill her. Looking at Naruto, he saw that the blond wanted an escape, and that's exactly what Sasuke would give him.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said, wading over to them, "but could you let go of _my _boyfriend?"

Karin looked like she had just been hit in the stomach.

"Your boyfriend…"

Naruto pulled himself away from her and wrapped an arm around Sasuke's waist firmly, and Sasuke nuzzled his neck.

"That's right, Karin." Naruto said. "His boyfriend."

Karin stood there, shocked, and then burst into inexplicable laughter.

"Good one, Naruto-kun." She said. "You almost had me going for a second there. Now let go of your friend so the life guard can make sure he's okay."

Naruto, who was slightly shorter than Sasuke, pulled the dark haired boy's face down to his level and kissed him. There was no real feeling behind the kiss, but Sasuke knew exactly why he was doing it. For added effect, he slipped his tongue into Naruto's mouth, and the blond moaned.

"Oh my fucking god." They heard Karin mutter. Kiba wolf whistled, and Shikamaru was smirking at the girl.

"I can't believe it." Karin muttered. "Naruto is a faggot?"

In a heart beat, Hinata had raised her hand, prepared to slap her.

"Don't you _ever _call him a faggot!" she said. Karin took a step back.

"Hinata, it's okay." Naruto said.

"Relax, Hina-chan." Sasuke whispered in her ear.

Karin seemed to pull herself together quickly. "I'm sorry." She apologized. "I shouldn't have said that."

Hinata shrugged and turned her back on her.

"Let me apologize to all of you properly." Karin said with a smile. "There's a party going on here late tonight, by one of the rides. It's strictly access only, so only the people that have been invited can get in. You're all welcome to come."

"I don't know…" Naruto muttered. Sasuke smiled at Karin.

"We'll be there." He said. Karin beamed at him and said something about getting back to work. Once she was out of earshot, Naruto rounded on Sasuke.

"Are you out of your mind?" Naruto asked. "Karin is the biggest bitch in this area."

"She should meet Ino." Kiba said, snickering.

Naruto ignored him. "Do you seriously want to go?"

Sasuke nodded. "Come on, Naru-kun. We've already established that you're mine, so she'll back off. And it'd be good to go out and party for the night."

"I'm in." Kiba said.

"Me too." Shikamaru added.

Hinata shrugged. "I guess I'm going too then."

Naruto sighed. "Fine. We'll go."

Sasuke smiled and kissed Naruto again. They decided to go to a different pool, in order to avoid Karin, and along the way Naruto bumped Sasuke's shoulder.

"So I'm yours, huh?" he asked with a smirk.

"You betcha." Sasuke replied, winking.

_**XXX**_

They swam and ate for the rest of the day, and when night came Karin sought after them to take them to the party.

"Hey guys, you ready?" she asked. She looked quite pretty, in a tight pink shirt with the words 'Bite Me' across the chest, and a pair of Daisy-Dukes.

"Almost." Sasuke said. He was keeping still as Hinata applied eyeliner to his eyes. Earlier, they had gone shopping and bought outfits for the party, and they were getting dressed into them.

Sasuke was wearing dark jeans and a black shirt that said 'Rocker', and Hinata was in a pair of tight blue jeans and a violet tank top. Naruto wore blue jeans and an orange hoodie, while Kiba had the same, except that the hoodie was black. Shikamaru had, for some reason, bought a pair of leather pants and a tight leather shirt, and he had combed his hair out of its usual ponytail, letting it fall across his shoulders.

Karin whistled. "You guys look good."

"Thank you." Kiba said, smiling at her. It was obvious what he was thinking.

"Let's go." Naruto said, pulling his trainers on. The others nodded and stood, following Karin across the park. They walked for nearly twenty minutes, the sound of loud music and heavy base getting louder as they went, and eventually arrived at a gated area, with two large, muscled bouncers at the entrance.

"Hey guys." Karin greeted. "They're with me."

The bouncers nodded and stepped aside, allowing them to pass. They took a sharp corner and entered what appeared to be an outdoor club.

"Great, isn't it?" Karin yelled over the music. "They do this about twice a year."

Naruto eyed the dance floor with enthusiasm. "Let's dance, Sasuke!"

Karin's eyes glinted for a fraction of a second. "Go ahead, I'll catch you guys up later. I'm going to go get us all drinks. Hinata, would you be kind enough to help me?"

The tiny Hyuuga nodded and vanished with Karin, while Kiba and Shikamaru were already on the dance floor. Sasuke followed Naruto and began to sway his body to the tempo of the music, letting go of all of his worries as he moved. For fifteen minutes, they danced without speaking, until Sasuke noticed Karin waving for their attention and pointing at a tray of drinks. Sasuke tapped Naruto on the shoulder, then got Kiba and Shikamaru's attention. The four of them headed over to Karin and Hinata happily.

"This is awesome, Karin." Naruto said. "Thanks for inviting us."

"It's my pleasure, Naruto-kun." Karin replied sweetly. She handed out drinks, leaving Sasuke's for last, then handed out shooters. She raised hers into the air and smiled at them.

"To new friends." She said. They all raised their shots and downed them, coughing as it burned their throats.

"I hate tequila." Sasuke commented with a laugh. Kiba was smacking his lips together in appreciation, while Hinata seemed to be gagging. Sasuke took a large gulp of his drink to rid his mouth of the tequila's sharp taste.

"There's another round on its way." Karin told them, "But don't worry, there's no tequila."

Sasuke was thankful for that. They made another toast, this time using their other drinks, and each took a large mouthful.

Something strange was happening to Sasuke. After only two swallows, he was starting to feel drunk, and normally he could hold his liquor quite well.

"I think I'd better slow down." He said, putting his drink down, but Karin laughed at him.

"Naruto, you're dating a lightweight. I could out drink him easily."

"Shut up, Karin." Naruto growled. Sasuke glared at her and took another long swallow, feeling it rush to his head in an instant.

"Here comes the next round." Karin said. "We should have a contest, to see who can finish both rounds first."

"You're on." Kiba said with a smirk.

"What about you, Sasuke?" Karin asked mockingly. "Are you in?"

"Yeah," Sasuke replied stubbornly. "I'm in."

They held up their drinks in one hand, and took their new drinks in the other.

"On the count of three…" Kiba said. "One… Two…"

"Three!" Karin squealed, and began downing her alcohol. Kiba and Sasuke did the same. Kiba won, with Sasuke coming second, followed closely by Karin. He began feeling woozy and stumbled into Naruto, who barely caught him in time.

"Shit, Sasuke," the blond exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

"Damn it." Karin said. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have dared him like that. I'll show him where the bathrooms are so he can freshen up a little."

"I'll take him." Naruto said stubbornly.

"You won't be able to get back in if you do." Karin pointed out. "The bouncers won't allow it. Wait here, we'll be back in a second."

She took Sasuke's arm and steered him toward the gates. He leaned against her and started giggling uncontrollably, muttering random things under his breath. He didn't see Karin nod to the bouncers, or notice that she was leading him toward one of the overnight rooms that resort offered.

"Come on Sasuke." She said. "Almost there."

Sasuke began to feel a familiar tightening in his pants and giggled.

"I'm horny." He said. "Why am I horny?"

"I'll explain everything to you soon, Sasuke." Karin said.

She unlocked the door and led Sasuke inside, letting him sit on the bed. He fell back on the pillows, giggling madly.

"Here, let me help you a little." Karin said, tugging at the zipper of Sasuke's jeans.

"What about…"

"I'll explain everything now, Sasuke." She said sweetly, and his worries left him. He allowed Karin to pull his jeans off, then his shirt, leaving him in only boxer-briefs. Karin removed those too and let out a low whistle.

"Wow, you really are packing, aren't you?" she commented. She took Sasuke's length into her hand and began stroking it, and Sasuke's hips thrusted up involuntarily.

When Karin took his member into her mouth, Sasuke hissed in pleasure, but regained some of his senses.

"No." he said, sounding drunk. "I love Naruto."

"Naruto is on his way here now, sweety.' Karin purred. "He said we should get started and he'll meet us here. Don't you remember?"

"No…" Sasuke said, but he sounded unsure of himself.

"Don't worry." She said. "He's going to join us."

Sasuke nodded vaguely as she took him in her mouth again. He thrusted his hips gently, enjoying being pleasured, even though it was by a girl. Deep down, some part of him was screaming that there was something wrong, but he couldn't hear it.

Karin pulled her clothes off and straddled Sasuke's hips, slowly guiding his erection to her wet pussy. As it slid in, Sasuke felt an awkward discomfort. This didn't feel like it should. He didn't like girls, and it felt weird to sleep with them.

Karin moaned and rode Sasuke's erection wildly. Her fingernails dug into his pale chest, leaving thin red marks there and occasionally drawing blood. She bit his neck, causing him to moan slightly. For what seemed like an eternity, they were joined together. Sasuke felt his consciousness slipping, the alcohol affecting him in a way that it never had before, but suddenly Karin's walls clenched around his cock as she climaxed, making him climax too. As the last wave of his orgasm fading and his seed shot into her, he heard a door open, and he passed out.

_**XXX**_

"I don't like this." Kiba said over the music. "I don't trust that bitch one bit."

"Me neither." Naruto replied. "And I actually used to date her."

Kiba and Hinata looked stunned.

"She's your ex-girlfriend?" Shikamaru asked. "Then it's definitely bad that she took Sasuke. I mean, she's been staring at him all night… you don't know what she might do to him."

Naruto's expression became panicked.

"We have to find him. Now"

They all followed him as he headed to the gates. He went straight to the bouncers and stood in front of them.

"Have you seen Karin?" he asked. Hey both shook their heads, and Naruto became frantic. "Shit, shit, shit! I have to find her! Her mom just called me, and her dad is in hospital. She can't get hold of Karin."

The bouncers glanced at each other uneasily.

"She went with some boy to the rooms over there." One of them said, pointing. "If it's about her dad, I'm sure Karin won't mind the interruption."

Naruto muttered a quick thanks and hurried toward the room that the bouncers had pointed to. He checked in the windows one by one, searching for any sign of Sasuke, but it wasn't until the last room that he saw a mop of black hair through the window. With fear pumping through his veins, he took the door handle and turned it violently, bursting into the room with Kiba, Hinata, and Shikamaru behind him. And what Naruto saw was enough to make him freeze in his tracks.

Sasuke was naked, on his back, with Karin straddling him. They were having sex.

"What the fuck?" Kiba screamed. Karin jerked around and snatched her shirt off the bed, covering herself.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she shouted.

"We should ask you the same –" Kiba said angrily, but he didn't get to finish. Hinata knocked him aside and attacked Karin, grabbing her throat and strangling her. Karin clutched at Hinata's hands, trying to pry them off, but she couldn't. Hinata was too angry, and the adrenaline was making her stronger. When Karin began to splutter and turn a sickly blue color, Kiba forcefully dragged Hinata off of her, leaving her to choke and gasp for air.

"You fucking crazy bitch!" Karin choked out, rubbing her sore throat.

"Fuck you!" Hinata yelled back, struggling against Kiba.

Naruto barely noticed any of this. His eyes were on Sasuke.

The dark haired boy hadn't said a word since they entered the room. In fact, he didn't even look conscious. Naruto moved around Karin and went to kneel next to Sasuke, taking in the red marks on his chest and the closed eyes. As he was about to shake Sasuke's shoulder, a trickle of spit escaped from between Sasuke's lips, and Naruto screamed at the sight of it. It was thick, and a dark, crimson red.

It wasn't spit. It was blood.

_**XXX**_

**A/N**: I'm going to be continuing this story until about twenty or so chapters, then start a sequel. Also, I have two endings for this one in mind. One is your typical happy ending, and Hope you all enjoyed that, I sure did! Anyway, I've had some pretty good ideas, so another is the sad, not-so-happily-ever-after version. I think I'd rather go with that, as it sets things up nicely for the sequel. What do you guys think about that? Please let me know.

Also, if you can, could you put the name of the country you live in at the end of your reviews? It's fascinating to see how widespread my stories are read.

Remember, the more reviews I get, the faster I'll update!

Lord Rekhyt.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I don't own Naruto…

**Warnings: **Yaoi and language

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews guys!

_**Chapter 12**_

The room seemed to be spinning as pandemonium reigned supreme. Kiba called an ambulance, frantically explaining things to them and giving directions. Shikamaru took over watching Hinata and keeping her from attacking Karin again, and Naruto simply stared at Karin blankly while she glared back defiantly. No one thought to phone the police at that point, but somehow, Naruto knew that Karin was going to pay for what she did.

Kiba took to pacing the room angrily, occasionally shooting insults at Karin, almost as if to dare her to attack him. She remained silent, however, not even trying to escape the scene. It was the longest fifteen minutes of Naruto's life, sitting there and waiting for the ambulance. When the paramedics finally arrived, they forced Karin to divulge a few details to them before whisking Sasuke off to the ER at the local hospital. It appeared that she had used some form of date rape drug, and the severity of the damage to Sasuke wouldn't be known until they could do some tests.

As the ambulance's lights flashed in the night, Kiba prodded Naruto gently.

"I called my mom." He said. "Our parents are coming to take us to the hospital."

Naruto nodded dumbly, not really aware of anything. He didn't know how to feel about any of this. His ex girlfriend, Karin, had practically raped his boyfriend, and he should be mad at her, but why did Sasuke want to go to that stupid party to begin with? Why had he taken Karin's bait and downed his drinks? And why did he go with her when he was feeling sick? Even so, how did he land up sleeping with her? How did she manage to convince him that it was alright, and did he not think about Naruto at all?

These thoughts raged and chased each other in circles, eliminating all space for any other thoughts. In the background, he heard Kiba and Karin arguing, but it seemed to be less vehement that he would have imagined, so he tried to focus on their conversation.

"Why the fuck do you want to go with, anyway?" Kiba asked angrily.

"Because this is all my fault." Karin stated, looking sheepish. "I didn't mean to hurt Sasuke, honestly! It was so stupid of me…"

"No one's going to argue with that." Hinata said drily. "Explain then. Why did you do it?"

Karin half glanced at Naruto.

"I wanted to get back at Naruto. I know that it's been over between him and me for a while now, but it still hurt to see him with someone else, particularly another guy! I mean, I was angry, and I figured the best way to get revenge was to sleep with his boyfriend. Since he's gay and wouldn't be attracted to me, I had to use a drug. I don't know how it did that to him…"

Shikamaru spoke up. "He must have been allergic to something in the drug. That explains why it affected him so quickly."

Kiba nodded. "I think I know why. That drug is most likely meant to make a person mentally and physically numb, so they can't fight back."

Hinata gasped, tears still in her silvery eyes. "Sasuke is allergic to anesthetic…"

Kiba nodded grimly.

Karin's expression was twisted with horror and guilt.

"Please," she begged, "take me with you to the hospital. I need to be there. And you can call the police… I don't care anymore. I just have to be sure that he's okay."

Kiba let out a soft growl, but gave a quick, jerky nod.

Naruto's mind drifted back to the endless questions forming inside of him. He wanted the answers badly, but for that, he would need his boyfriend to be conscious. More importantly, he would need Sasuke to be alive.

'_Please let Sasuke be alive…'_

_**XXX**_

A thick wool blanket seemed to be draped over Sasuke. It was heavy and uncomfortable, restricting his movement. The blanket also seemed to be _inside_ him, covering his mind and keeping his thoughts incoherent. And for some reason, he could taste the thick, cloying blanket inside his mouth. It was much like the time when he had been rushed to hospital when he was ten, and he had been given a powerful anesthetic that had sent him into a week-long coma. He had felt similar back then.

His eyes fluttered open, cringing away from the bright lights around him. From the first glance, he knew that he was in hospital.

"Sasuke-kun?"

It was Hinata's voice. The tiny Hyuuga girl was sitting at his bedside, and next to her was Naruto.

The blond was asleep, his blond hair falling over his closed eyes as his chest gently lifted and fell with his steady breathing.

"What happened?" Sasuke asked groggily.

Hinata sighed and turned to Naruto, gently shaking him awake.

"Naruto-kun?" she said quietly, "Sasuke is awake."

Naruto's eyes opened, and he stared blankly at Sasuke for nearly a full minute before talking.

"Hey…"

"Hi…" Sasuke replied. "Er, what happened to me? The last thing I remember is dancing with you at that party."

Hinata quietly excused herself, leaving the two boys alone.

Naruto took a deep, steadying breath, and began to talk, explaining everything.

Sasuke's eyes had an uncomfortable tingling sensation in the corners as Naruto's story wound to a close. He couldn't fully wrap his head around the concept, since the time period it occurred in was coming up as a complete blank.

To be told that you had been raped, by your boyfriend's ex girlfriend no less, wasn't something that could easily be accepted. For a while, Sasuke stared at the pure white blankets that were covering him to the waist, unsure of what to say.

"Sasuke…" Naruto said quietly. "Sasuke, why did you go with her?"

Sasuke looked up at the blond. His expression was slightly twisted, torn between confusion and anger.

"I didn't go with her." Sasuke replied. "I didn't do anything other than dance and drink. The rest wasn't me, since I was drugged up to my eyeballs with what ever the fuck Karin gave me."

Naruto glared at Sasuke and opened his mouth to retort, but a knock on the door provided a welcome distraction.

Kiba poked his head around the door, grinning.

"Sasuke! Hinata said that you finally – Am I interrupting something?"

He was looking between Sasuke and his blond boyfriend, both of whom were glaring at opposite sides of the room and not making eye contact.

"Not at all, Kiba," Sasuke said with false cheeriness. "Come in."

Kiba came in, and trailing behind him awkwardly was Karin, looking like she felt unsafe.

"What is she doing here?" Sasuke asked immediately, involuntarily scowling.

Karin half hid behind Kiba.

"She's here to apologize." Kiba said, rolling his eyes. "I'll let you get to it, then."

He nodded at Sasuke and made to leave, but Naruto spoke p.

"I'll come with you." The flaxen haired male said. "I don't think I want to be here for this."

Sasuke shot him a curious glance, but Naruto simply followed after Kiba, closing the dor quietly behind him.

"Fuck sake." Naruto muttered, walking next to Kiba.

"Yeah, I know," Kiba said. "Stupid, huh?"

Naruto slammed his fist against the tiled wall. "I can't deal with this shit now, I just can't. Every time I turn around, something falls to pieces. I'm so tired of it."

Kiba frowned. "It's not like Karin is going to be around once we head back to college, so it's not really falling apart, is it? In a day, we'll be out of here."

Naruto blinked in confusion. "Karin? I'm talking about Sasuke here."

"Sasuke?" Kiba asked, somehow thinking he had missed half the conversation. "What did Sasuke do wrong?"

Naruto's jaw dropped in indignation. "What did he do? Hello? He fucked that skanky bitch! He fucking cheated on me, and now, knowing him, he'll just forgive her and let it all slide, make out as though it wasn't a big deal!"

Kiba's face reddened slightly. "Sasuke did not fuck anyone. He was raped, you fool."

Naruto snorted. "I don't believe it."

Kiba rolled his eyes at the blond. "Then you're an idiot. She even admitted it."

"I don't care! He fucked her, and that's the heart of the matter! If you want to side with him and tell me how innocent he is, then you can save your breath, Inuzuka. I'm out of here."

The blonde turned and walked away furiously, leaving Kiba to stare after him in anger.

"Fucking idiot." Kiba muttered angrily, turning back to Sasuke's room. He had forgotten that Karin was in there, and barged in without knocking.

It appeared that Sasuke had been in midsentence, but he cut off at the sight of Kiba's anger.

"Kiba, what's wrong?" he asked immediately. Kiba was about to reply when he saw Karin, and quickly closed his mouth. Getting to Naruto was the whole point of what she had done, and Kiba would be damned if he gave the bitch the satisfaction of knowing that she had caused a problem.

"I'll tell you later." He said. Sasuke nodded and turned back to Karin.

"I'm going to go." Karin said. "Again, I really am sorry, and I hope you recover quickly."

Sasuke gave a half smile and nodded at her. She said a quick farewell to Kiba and ghosted out of the room.

"So what happened?" Sasuke asked Kiba. "I assume that Karin was the reason you didn't want to say."

"You assume right." Kiba fumed. "That bitch got exactly what she wanted. Naruto is being a complete jackass, ranting about how you fucked her and cheated on him."

Sasuke stared at Kiba in disbelief. "He said that? What the fuck, the test results are sure to prove that she slipped me something. Hell, that's why I'm in fucking hospital. How can he believe that?"

Kiba snorted. "He's blond. And the idiot is majorly pissed at you know."

Rubbing his temples, Sasuke sighed. "Maybe it's just shock from what happened. I don't know. I'll talk to him when I get discharged, unless I see him sooner. Where is he?"

"He left. I don't know where he's gone. Maybe to his parents."

Sasuke nodded, his chest tightening painfully at the thought of his boyfriend's anger.

_**XXX**_

It was only a few hours later that Sasuke had been declared fit enough to leave the hospital. The dosage of anesthetic had been small, so there wasn't much left in his system, but the doctors had prescribed him some medication to keep his allergic reaction at bay. He walked into the lobby and straight up to Hinata and Kiba, who were talking in hushed voiced.

"I'm good to go." He told them with a smile, pretending to not notice the way they quickly stopped talking as he got to them. Hinata smiled and gave him a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're okay, Sasuke-kun."

Kiba clapped him on the back. "No stupid pill is going to keep my adoptive brother down, right Sasu?"

Sasuke choked a bit on that. "Wow. You know, until now I hadn't even realized that we're technically brothers now."

Kiba laughed. "And here I thought you were smart one."

Sasuke prodded him in the stomach and looked around.

"Where's Naruto?" he asked.

"With Sh – Shikamaru." Hinata said, stuttering nervously. "H – he took Naruto outside to t – talk to h – him."

Sasuke looked at the tiny girl. "Hinata, what's going on? You only stutter when you're nervous."

Hinata's expression became guilty, but Kiba quickly came to her defense.

"Let's just wait until Shikamaru and Naruto get back. We'll talk then."

Sasuke nodded, his eyes narrowed. He didn't like how that sounded.

He looked around the spacious lobby, which was so different from the rest of the hospital's upper floors. Here, the room was warm and inviting, with beige carpets covering the floor and lights hanging from the ceiling that cast an orange glow. It was late afternoon, judging by the subdued lighting outside, and Sasuke absently wondered if how long he had been unconscious for.

Sitting on one of the deep, brown couches, he let out a frustrated sigh. He wanted to talk to Naruto, but at the same time he wondered what exactly he would say to the blond.

'_I'm sorry that your ex raped me,' _he thought ruefully, _'Let's forget it and move on.'_

He wouldn't say that, of course, but that was exactly what had happened. He couldn't fathom how Naruto had come to the conclusion that it was somehow Sasuke's fault. Kiba and Hinata had seated themselves on either side of Sasuke, their legs brushing against his own. They were at least understanding of the truth. They had believed it. But his own boyfriend hadn't…

"There they are." Kiba whispered, and Sasuke looked up. Naruto and Shikamaru were walking toward them, both slightly red in the face from what was obviously a heated discussion. Naruto's shoulders were hunched in defeat.

"Hey, Sasuke." Shikamaru greeted. "Glad to see you're up and about again."

Sasuke smiled at Shikamaru, but he had eyes for only Naruto. He smiled tentatively at the blond, who returned it just as hesitantly. Before either could speak, Minato, Kushina and Tsume had entered the lobby, looking relieved.

"Thank god you're alright." Tsume said, hugging Sasuke tightly. Sasuke patted her shoulder awkwardly and rose to his feet.

"Let's get back on the road." Kushina said, "It's a long trip home, and I'm sure that Sasuke could use some sleep and a good home cooked meal."

Sasuke and his friends nodded and followed the adults outside and to the car, which they piled into. Their luggage was already packed into the trunk neatly, so Sasuke assumed that that was were they had been since he had woken up. The drive started out completely silent, which each of the car's occupants lost in their own thoughts, and Sasuke drifted into a dreamless sleep, his head lolling sideways onto Naruto's shoulder. When he finally woke up, they had covered nearly half of the distance home.

"Geez, you always fall asleep in cars." Kiba commented, making Tsume laugh softly. It was true; ever since he had been a child, car rides had put him to sleep.

"Yeah well, anything to get away from your annoying conversations." Sasuke replied, stifling a yawn. Kiba scowled, and Hinata laughed.

"What do you all plan on doing for your last two days of vacation?" Minato asked.

"I've got to go home for my sister's birthday." Hinata said, grimacing.

"And I need to go home too," Shikamaru said. "My parents want me to spend a little more time there before college starts again."

Minato nodded. "And you, Sasuke? Are you going to go back with us, or go home?"

Sasuke glanced at Tsume, who shrugged.

"I'll probably stay with you, if that's alright." He told Minato, who smiled.

"That's no problem at all, right Kushina?"

Kushina smiled broadly. "Of course it's not a problem. You're always welcome there, Sasuke."

Sasuke nodded, then glanced at Naruto. His expression was faintly thoughtful, not betraying whether or not he wanted Sasuke around.

"What do you think?" Sasuke asked, so low that only Naruto could hear him. "Is it okay with you?"

Naruto shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, I guess we have a lot to talk about."

Sasuke cringed internally at the ominous suggestion of that sentence, but didn't let his apprehension show. He smiled softly at the blond and leaned against his shoulder once more, entwining their fingers and letting himself drift back into sleep once more. Even though he hadn't been conscious for most of the time, it had been a long day.

Hours later, Sasuke and Naruto were sitting on the blond's bed in silence. The others had left, and Naruto's parents were downstairs preparing a light, rather late dinner, so the two boys had retreated upstairs. Sasuke let himself fall backwards and rolled onto his stomach, folding his arms under his head. Naruto stretched out as well, resting his head on Sasuke's back. In silence, they stared out into nothingness.

"So do you want to talk now?" Sasuke asked, but Naruto mumbled something vague. "We can talk when ever you feel up to it."

"Thanks." Naruto said. "I really don't want to think about it tonight."

The blond cuddled up to Sasuke's neck and licked it softly. He ran his lips over the soft skin and bit down gently, making Sasuke moan quietly. He raised his hips off the bed for a moment and adjusted his groin, which had been digging into the bed at an awkward angle, and Naruto's hand darted under him as he tried to lower himself, grasping his erection through his jeans.

"Seems you're a little excited tonight." Naruto whispered softly against Sasuke's neck, making the Uchiha shudder.

"What do you want me to do, Sasuke?" he asked. "Do you want me to suck your cock? Or do you want me to ride you until you come?"

Sasuke shuddered again, enjoying Naruto's dirty talk. "Suck me, babe."

He felt Naruto's smirk against his skin just before the blond pulled away and helped Sasuke roll onto his back. His hands immediately went to Sasuke's belt and tugged it off, before pulling down his zipper and taking the pants off. He then fingered the waistband of the boxers, toying with them.

"I'm going to make you forget all about that whore Karin." He said, more to himself than Sasuke. Before Sasuke could reply, the blond had freed his hard-on and taken it into his mouth, while fondling his balls with one hand. Sasuke's eyes closed as pleasure coursed through his body, his hips arching to meet every downward thrust of Naruto's lips. His fingers laced themselves into Naruto's blond hair, entwining there. His teeth grazed against his bottom lip in a n effort to not cry out too loudly, but some sound must have escaped him because his lover let out a small giggle. The vibrations shot down Sasuke's erection and pushed him over the edge, making him cum harder than he had in as long as he could remember. White spots flashed in front of his eyes as his teeth bit savagely into his lips, and he couldn't help the strangled moan that escaped him. Naruto swallowed his load around his member, moaning himself as his hand, which Sasuke hadn't noticed, brought him to his own orgasm. Their bodies shook and trembled in the wake of their climax, before going limp and falling into a relaxed pose.

"That was the best orgasm I've had." Sasuke said fervently when he could speak once more, earning a chuckle from Naruto.

"Glad I could be of service."

The tone Naruto said that in was completely wrong, making Sasuke look at him curiously.

"Naruto –"

"Not now, Sasuke." Naruto said, cutting him off. "I don't want to think about that right now."

Sasuke sighed in defeat, pouting involuntarily.

"I just don't want you to be mad at me for this, Naru." He said quietly. Naruto stood up, grabbing a towel and moving toward the door. As it closed behind him, he heard Naruto mutter, "It's too late for that, Sasuke."

Alone in Naruto's bedroom, Sasuke stared out of the window into the darkness. Kushina had called ten minutes ago for them to go eat, but neither boy seemed to have replied. Kushina most likely assumed that they were both asleep, and had let them be.

Standing at the open window, a faint breeze drifted in, bringing the scents of a lit cigarette with it. Minato was most likely sitting outside, having a smoke. Sasuke heaved himself toward the door and opened it, descending the stairs quietly and slipping out the back door, where sure enough, Minato was sitting.

Wordlessly, Minato offered Sasuke a cigarette, and Sasuke accepted it gratefully. He lit it and took a deep drag, closing his eyes.

"Here, I got this for you while you were still in the hospital. Knowing Naruto like I do, I figured you'd need it."

Sasuke opened his eyes. Minato was holding out an unopened box of cigarettes, as well as a new lighter.

"Thanks." Sasuke said, accepting them. "I guess he's going to be mad at me for a while…"

Minato's answering nod was solemn. "I understand that what happened wasn't your fault, Sasuke. Karin raped you, and you couldn't do anything about it. But you have to understand that since Naruto and Karin broke up, he's been very wary of her. And having you sleep with her was a surefire way for her to get back at him."

"Get back at him for what, exactly?" Sasuke asked. "Naruto won't give me an honest answer when I ask him."

Minato shrugged. "It's nothing, really. Naruto found out that she was cheating, and he dumped her faster than the drop of a hat. She wanted him back, but he refused. That rejection made Karin want revenge on Naruto, but he never gave her a chance. Until now…"

Sasuke heaved a large sigh, closing his eyes. He had provided the perfect opportunity for Karin.

"The police picked her up from the hospital, by the way." Minato said carefully. "She's facing a hearing for rape and attempted murder, because she used something that you were allergic too."

"That gets her out of my life, at least." Sasuke said venomously; glad to be rid of her.

Minato nodded again. "Naruto doesn't see it that way. The damage is already done now, and it'll take Naruto a while to get over it."

Sasuke gave a noncommittal shake of his head and flicked his spent cigarette out into the darkness.

"I don't want to loose him, Minato." He whispered. "I love him."

"And I love you, Sasuke." A voice said behind him. "But I can't just pretend that nothing happened."

Sasuke kept his back to Naruto, knowing that, if he faced him, he wouldn't be able to hold back tears.

"I know."

_**XXX**_

They were back at college again, busy unpacking in silence, when Kiba bounded into the room and tackled Sasuke onto his bed.

"Kiba, get off." The Uchiha complained, pushing Kiba off of him.

"Hey, I missed my brother." Kiba said, smiling at him. "Hey Naruto, missed you too! It's been so dull at my home without you guys there."

"So we provide your entertainment, do we?" Naruto asked with a laugh, closing his wardrobe and crossing to his bed.

"Of course," Kiba replied. "That's why I invited you guys."

Sasuke prodded Kiba in the ribs. "You're an asshole, Kiba."

"Where's the rest of the crew?" Naruto asked.

"Hinata is busy unpacking," Kiba told them, "and by the sounds of it, she's on the verge of killing Sakura. Shikamaru is still on his way, he said something about being packed and ready being troublesome."

"Typical Shikamaru." Sasuke said.

"Gaara and Temari are already back, and they're with their brother, Kankuro."

Sasuke nodded. "Wow, Kiba, you called everyone, didn't you?"

Kiba shrugged. " wanted to know I'm not the only idiot that came back here. I wouldn't want you guys to abandon me."

"Damn," Naruto said in mock annoyance, "There goes our plan, Sasuke."

Kiba scowled, making Sasuke laugh.

"What about Hidan?" Sasuke asked unthinkingly, and he instantly felt Naruto's posture change. Where he had been relaxed a minute ago, he was now tense and upset.

"Um, Hidan is only getting back tomorrow, just before class starts. One of his friends, Kakuzu, was arrested yesterday for possession of drugs, and Hidan is under investigation."

Sasuke snorted. "Yeah. I know Hidan, and he wouldn't touch anything that Kakuzu offered him."

"Someone's getting a bit defensive." Naruto commented snidely, glaring at Sasuke. Sasuke glared back.

"Hidan is my friend, Naruto." He said slowly.

Naruto shrugged and turned away, but Sasuke knew it was far from over. They would have to talk about that later, as well as the problem with Karin, which Naruto had been avoiding.

"I'm going to go." Kiba said. "See you guys later."

He left, closing the door behind him, and Naruto turned back to Sasuke.

Sasuke held up his hand, cutting Naruto off before he could speak. "If you're going to get upset and start yelling at me, can we please deal with the Karin issue first? I want to talk about it and fucking forget that bitch once and for all."

Naruto sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "Look, Sasuke, the thing with Karin… I just don't understand. Sure, she used a date rape drug, and she forced you into it, but think about it; You didn't think about me, or what I would think. You actually got turned on, and had sex with her. Unprotected sex, I might add. I just don't know how to feel about that."

Sasuke nodded and dug around inside a bag. "Here," he said, offering Naruto a piece of paper. "The doctors printed this for me, to help me deal with what happened. It's a detailed description of the drug Karin gave me, and its effects."

Naruto's eyes traveled from left to right, again and again, travelling down the page. With every line, the crease between his eyebrows drew closer together, like he was grudgingly accepting what he read. Eventually, he sighed and handed the page back to Sasuke.

"Alright." He said hoarsely. "Let's forget about Karin."

Sasuke smiled. "If I had been in my right mind, that would never have happened, Naruto. I love you."

Naruto sat on Sasuke's lap, cuddling up to him.

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I guess I overreacted to it."

Sasuke kissed Naruto's soft lips gently, smiling again, but he knew, somehow, that this was far from over.

_**XXXXX**_

A/N: There's yet another chapter for you! Hope it was good enough for all my awesome readers. Next chapter, there's gonna be some trouble brewing, but not only for Naruto and Sasuke. Leave me a review, and I'll get the next chapter up soon!


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing!

**Warnings: **I'm sure you've realized by now…

**A/N: **I am so sorry for the delay in updates! Let's just say that life happened all at once, leaving me with very little time to write anything. It totally sucked. Anyway, here's another chapter, hope you all enjoy it!

_**Chapter 13**_

It had been over two months since the incident with Karin, and life was continuing its steady march. Winter had set in properly now, bringing with it a chilly wind that cut straight to the bone and a few light, puffy snowfalls. Lately, everyone seemed to be more on edge, and prone to rapid mood swings, so Sasuke decided that he needed to escape. There was a place behind the science department that was shielded from view by the building's wall and a few well placed trees. Sasuke and Kiba used to go there often to get away from the other students, and so Sasuke found himself there again, staring out into space.

Naruto had agreed to let what happened with Karin fall into the past, but in the past month he had brought it up twice, resulting in an argument each time. It was wearing Sasuke down, having to constantly defend himself, and Naruto had no sympathy. Hinata and Kiba had tried to talk to him, but to no avail. Shikamaru had even sided with Sasuke, forgetting his previous anger from the dance where his boyfriend, Kankuro, had come on to Sasuke. The two of them had spilt recently, after Shikamaru discovered that Kankuro was in fact cheating on him with no less than four other men.

Sasuke sighed deeply and pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He had long since smoked the ones that Minato had given him, and although he didn't really want to, he had been sure to always buy more when he ran out. He lit his cigarette and took a long drag, looking up at the grayish clouds that were forming over head.

The past month with Naruto had been turbulent, and it was taking its toll on Sasuke. It seemed that every time they were in the same room, they would be at each other's throats, bordering on yet another argument. It was only by sheer luck that they had only fought twice this far. But even though it had only been those two times, Sasuke felt depressed and upset. After everything that had happened in his life, from his family being slaughtered to being raped by Karin, it seemed that some higher power was not yet done making his life miserable, and it seemed to be coming between him and his boyfriend now.

"Thought I'd find you here." A voice said, startling Sasuke out of his thoughts. He looked around and saw Kiba sitting down next to him.

"How'd you know where to find me?" Sasuke asked.

"We always came here when we where upset." Kiba said. "So I figured it would be the best place to look for you."

Sasuke nodded. "Well, here I am. What did you need me for?"

Kiba looked at him thoughtfully. "It's a pity we're brothers now, or I could think of a few things that I could use you for…"

Sasuke choked on his cigarette, coughing loudly.

"Kiba! You're not serious, are you?"

Kiba shrugged. "Remember what happened between us last semester? Well, let's just say you've broadened my horizons and opened me up to a whole new side of me that I didn't know was there."

Too stunned to speak, Sasuke remained silent.

Kiba considered Sasuke for a moment longer, then sighed and shook his head. He took Sasuke's cigarette and took a drag, exhaling the smoke in a thin stream.

"Since when do you smoke?" Sasuke asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Since when do you?" Kiba countered, taking another drag.

"Fair enough."

Between them, they finished the cigarette quickly, and it didn't take long for Sasuke to light another for himself. He offered the pack to Kiba, who took one and lit it.

"Thanks." He muttered.

There was another moment of silence before Kiba spoke again.

"What's going on inside that head of yours, Sasuke?" Kiba asked, his voice lower and more concerned.

Sasuke sighed. "A lot. To tell you the truth, I'm beginning to think that Naruto doesn't want me anymore."

Kiba waited for Sasuke to elaborate, but it seemed that he wasn't going to.

"Why would you say that?"

Sasuke took another deep drag, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke before replying. "All we seem to do now is fight. And he's the one picking them. I try to not get offended, but there's only so much I can take before I start yelling back, and then it ends with one of us storming out, and only coming back when the other one is asleep."

Kiba nodded. "That doesn't mean he doesn't want to be with you, Sasuke. Think about it; you're in a pretty serious relationship with him, and all relationships have their ups and downs. That doesn't mean that you guys are meant to break up, it means that you need to work harder at what the two of you have. After all, nothing worthwhile is ever easy."

"Wow." Sasuke said, blinking hard, "Where'd that come from Kiba? You're never this philosophical unless you're drunk."

Kiba flipped him his middle finger.

"I can't take this crap anymore, Kiba. Everything was great in the beginning, but now it's nothing more than a big fight waiting to happen."

Kiba nodded solemnly.

Sasuke flicked the remains of his cigarette away and stood up, dusting off his pants.

"I'd better go back, before anyone stars wondering where I am. You coming?"

Kiba shook his head. "I think I'll stay here a little longer."

"Alright."

Sasuke walked back towards the dormitories in a somber mood, not really wanting to go back. Naruto would surely be wondering where he had vanished to, and that would mean another argument. On a whim, Sasuke turned to the girl's dormitories instead, intending to go visit Hinata rather than face Naruto just yet.

He knocked on the door, and was greeted by Hinata. The tiny girl ushered him inside and shut the door behind her with a faintly audible click.

Sasuke looked at the room and was surprised to see Temari sitting on the bed, talking to her brother, Gaara.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked.

"I needed to get away from Shikamaru." Gaara said. "He's been really emo and annoying lately."

"Any idea why?"

"That's what I was trying to find out." Temari said. "But Gaara's being a little bitch about it."

"He isn't being a little bitch, Tema-chan." Hinata said with a sigh, moving around the room and straightening things out.

Gaara shot his sister a dirty look before addressing Sasuke.

"He's having second thoughts about a lot of things, including his sexuality. I figured it would be better to leave before he decided to take his sexual frustrations out on me."

Sasuke smirked. "You might have liked that, Gaara."

Gaara flipped Sasuke his middle finger, but otherwise ignored the jibe.

"Shikamaru has been very different lately." Temari said thoughtfully. "After what happened with Kankuro at the dance, he became very recluse, and stayed that way until the Uchiha massacre. Oh, Sorry Sasuke…"

Temari's eyes widened as she realized what she had just said, and looked at Sasuke apologetically. Sasuke had winced painfully at her words; it was still hard for him to think about his family.

Temari looked chastised, but continued. "Every since that, um, incident, Shikamaru started changing again. He isn't anything like he used to be."

Hinata nodded, and Gaara shrugged.

"I wish Shikamaru all the best," the redhead said honestly, "but I can't handle the way he takes his moods out on other people."

Sasuke sighed. Silently, he agreed. That was pretty much what Naruto had been doing of late.

"So what brings you here, Sasuke?" Hinata asked. "It isn't more trouble, is it?"

Sasuke looked into her large, silvery eyes, and knew he should lie. There was enough tension running through their group lately, and he couldn't bear to add one more stupid problem to the already confusing mix.

Summoning up his last vestiges of energy, Sasuke forced himself to smile casually.

"There's no problem, Hina-chan. Just felt like a change of scenery. You know how it gets around here."

Hinata nodded, buying that excuse without suspicion, and Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. As conversation picked up again, his phone rang in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and saw Naruto's name flashing there.

"Hello?" Sasuke said as he answered it.

"Where are you?"

With a slight grimace, Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to maintain his façade.

"I'm with Hinata in her dorm. I'm coming back now, though."

"Alright. See you in a few."

The blond hung up, and Sasuke put his phone back into his pocket.

"I have to go." He said. "I'll see you all at dinner."

They nodded their goodbyes as he left, and he wandered down the hallway alone.

As he entered the boy's dormitory, a familiar head of silver hair sauntered over to him.

"Hidan!" Sasuke exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. "I haven't seen you since term started. Where you still under investigation?"

Hidan smiled. "Nah, I got away after my blood tests proved negative for any drugs. That damn Kakuzu, on the other hand, has a court hearing in a few weeks."

Sasuke nodded, unsurprised.

"It's good to have you back." Sasuke said truthfully.

Hidan smiled coyly at Sasuke, an eyebrow arched inquisitively. "How good?"

Sasuke took a step back, a warning flashing in his obsidian eyes. "Hidan, I have a boyfriend, remember?"

Hidan's expression soured slightly. "I know. That's all that makes me behave."

Sasuke shook his head. "Maybe it's time you settled down, Hidan. You need to find someone you can connect with, and not just a plaything to fuck."

Hidan feigned a shocked look. "Me? Settling down? Never! And besides, there aren't many that could endure a conversation with me."

"Probably because all you ever talk about is sex." Sasuke stated. "You need a therapist."

Hidan smirked. "Maybe, but I'd probably sleep with the therapist too."

Sasuke shook his head. "You are so –"

"There you are!" an angry voice rang out, and Sasuke cringed slightly. He had forgotten about Naruto.

"Hey!" he greeted the blond, trying to sound cheerful. He gestured toward Hidan broadly. "Look who just got back to college."

Naruto spared Hidan a slight nod of his head. "Yeah. Fascinating. Can we talk, Sasuke?"

"Erm, sure." Sasuke said. "I'll see you around, Hidan."

"See you, Sasuke." Hidan said, a knowing and oddly perceptive look in his eyes.

Sasuke followed Naruto through the chilly hallway and up the staircase, and then into their room.

The room was a complete mess. Clothes had been strewn across the floor at random intervals, CD cases lay empty on the beds, and their schoolwork was scattered across the desk and the better part of Naruto's bed. Sasuke smoothed a portion of his dark, eastern style comforter and sat down, facing his blond lover.

"What do you want to talk about, Naru?" he asked innocently.

Naruto flashed him an annoyed look. "Where were you? I tried to call you earlier, but I didn't get an answer."

This was true. Naruto had phoned no less than five times, and each time Sasuke had ignored the call. But he had his excuse ready.

"I was practicing in the pool." He said with a straight face. "Trying to get in shape for the winter gala that's coming next month. I must have left my phone in the changing rooms."

Naruto nodded once, accepting that story.

"So you were with Kiba?" he asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "Unfortunately not. Kiba would have at least kept me entertained while we swam. No, I was swimming alone until a group of first year students came in and irritated the crap out of me. So I left and went for a short walk on the grounds."

Naruto nodded again. "Alright."

"Why the third degree, Naruto?" Sasuke asked gently. "I'm not upset about this, but why do you want to know where I am at all times lately?"

Naruto's face reddened and he opened his mouth, no doubt to yell, but seemed to change his mind. His expression became ashamed, and he sat down on his own bed, looking away from Sasuke.

"I guess I'm just feeling very insecure and protective after, well, you know…"

Sasuke caught on. "After what happened with Karin. Yeah, I guess I can see that. You don't need to worry, though. I'm safe here, and there's no one that will try anything with me."

Naruto looked over at Sasuke shrewdly. "Except the one person you were just talking too…"

It took Sasuke a while to catch on, but when he did, he knew Naruto had a point. Hidan was still attracted to Sasuke, and given a chance he would definitely jump at an opportunity, but Sasuke had better self control than that. Also, he had the perfect counter argument for Hidan-related things.

"Been there, done that." He told Naruto. "There's a good reason I'm not with Hidan anymore. Remember when I told you about the bad relationship I had last year? That was with Hidan."

Naruto looked shocked. "Hidan? But he's so nice with you."

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, now he is, but I have a theory about that. While I know he has changed a lot, I also think that a lot of what he says and does now is to try to make up for the way he used to be with me. Almost like his way of saying sorry."

Naruto grunted and curled up on the small amount of bed that wasn't taken over by something else.

A silence fell between the two boys, heavy with words left unsaid and bottled emotion. The tension was getting worse, and it felt like the air right before a massive thunderstorm. Sasuke could only hope that the storm wouldn't be their undoing.

Staring out the window, Sasuke didn't see the way that Naruto was watching his every movement. The blond couldn't tear his eyes away from his raven haired lover, and he couldn't seem to stay mad at him, as much as he wanted to. He didn't even know why anymore, but for some reason it just made sense to be permanently mad at Sasuke these days.

Sasuke glanced around the room, and their eyes met. For an instant, there was an air of hostility, but as they stared it melted away. He rose from his bed and crossed to Naruto's, lacing their fingers together.

"You know I love you, right?" he asked the blond.

Naruto nodded, small tears pricking the corners of his eyes. "I know. And I love you too, Sasuke. It's all just so complicated now."

"It doesn't have to be." Sasuke said. "We can put all of the shit with Karin in the past and forget that she ever existed. I for one don't want to ever see her again, and I'm sure you feel the same. Let's just move on from this and not let it break us apart."

Naruto sighed quietly. "That sounds great, but it's harder to actually do. I'm trying, Sasuke, I really am, but it's not easy to blot that out."

"I know." Sasuke murmured, hugging Naruto. "I know."

_**XXX**_

Another week passed, and things were finally settling down again. Sasuke was sitting in his Calculus class, staring out of the window and daydreaming, when the teacher called out to him.

"Mr. Uchiha," he teacher called.

"Hn." Sasuke said to show that he was listening.

"I'd like for you to stay after class."

Sasuke gave him a hard glare. "Why?"

"Because I said so." Professor Sarutobi said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and returned to his daydreams. When the bell rang five minutes later, he took his time gathering his possessions. When everyone else had left, he made his way to the front of the class.

Professor Sarutobi, the son of Headmaster Sarutobi, sat down and heaved a heavy breath.

"Sasuke, there is something important that I need to discuss with you."

"And that would be?"

Asuma lit a cigarette and took a moment before he replied.

"Your brother's trial as been and gone now, and he was sentenced to jail, but is partner, Sasori, was let off. There was no proof that he was involved in the murder of your family."

Sasuke's mind went momentarily blank. He stared down at Asuma's desk, his eyes tracing the patterns on the wooden surface, and scrutinizing every pencil, pen and book.

"So Itachi was convicted, but Sasori got off free…" he murmured, "Why are you telling me this? I don't care about Itachi."

Asuma shook his head. "This isn't about Itachi, Sasuke. It's about Sasori. He was let off, which means that he's going to be returning to this college within the week."

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "I don't understand. Why are you telling me this, Professor?"

"Do you believe that Sasori was involved in the murder of your family?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know. If the police didn't find anything, then maybe he isn't. Then again, maybe he was just good at hiding it."

Asuma nodded. "And if you were to see Sasori during lunch or in the corridors?"

"I would walk past him without a word, just like every other time that I have walked past him. He and I haven't spoken before, and I see no reason to change that."

Asuma nodded, looking oddly relieved.

"Alright, Sasuke. That will be all. The Headmaster wants you to see the guidance councilor by the end of the week, however."

"What?"

"I'll talk to him, see if we can avoid it, but Sasuke, you should consider it. You've been through a lot lately."

Sasuke rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Sure, Professor. Sure. Anyway, I have to go now. I'll send your greetings to Hinata, shall I?"

Asuma's face turned a scarlet red and he mumbled something incoherent. With a cheery smile, Sasuke waved to him and left.

As he walked out into the corridor, he bumped into Naruto, who raised an eyebrow.

"What did that old geezer keep you in for?" he asked. "Were you not paying attention again?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No, it wasn't for that. He had some news for me."

"News?" Naruto asked, his head tilting to one side. They walked down the corridor, heading toward the cafeteria.

"I'd rather tell you all at the same time." Sasuke said. "It's easier."

Naruto nodded, but he continued to pester Sasuke until they got to their usual table.

When they arrived, Kiba was in the middle of a loud and obviously funny story, one that had Gaara laughing and Hinata and Temari blushing furiously, so he sat down quietly and waited for the chance to speak. Thankfully, Kiba was just about to wrap it up.

"And then he said, 'Did I read it? I already ruined it!'"

Almost everyone burst out laughing.

"That's disgusting." Hinata said.

"I don't get it." Shikamaru said.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He had heard that joke one too many times. He waited for a brief lull in the conversation before clearing his throat.

All eyes turned to him, making him feel foolish.

'_It's not really that important, is it? Why am I acting like it is?'_

"Is everything okay, Sasu-kun?" Temari asked, her head tilting to one side as she looked at him.

"Um, well, I don't really know…" he replied, then told his friends what was happening. Their reactions were varied; Kiba and Naruto both turned scarlet with anger. Shikamaru considered the news in thoughtful silence. Hinata gasped loudly. Temari swore in four languages. Gaara thought about it, then shrugged.

"You barely know Sasori." The redhead said, "And if the police didn't convict him, there must be good reason. Either way, maybe you should just steer clear of him."

"That mangy son of a bitch." Kiba growled. "If he comes near you, I'll kill him."

"I'm with Kiba on that one." Naruto said menacingly.

"Miracles do happen…" Sasuke muttered quietly.

"Meaning?" Hinata asked.

Sasuke laughed. "Kiba and Naruto agreeing about something. That doesn't happen often."

While Kiba laughed, Naruto glared at Sasuke.

"Really funny, Uchiha." He said coldly.

Sasuke was taken aback by the harshness of his tone. "Come on, Naru, it was a joke. Don't get mad at me."

Naruto shrugged and picked up a banana from his food tray, peeling it with more force than what was needed. Sasuke winced at the hidden meaning behind the action.

"I agree w – with Gaara." Hinata stammered. "You sh – should just avoid Sa – Sasori."

Sasuke frowned. He hadn't meant to make Hinata nervous enough to stutter.

"Yeah." He said. "I intended to do that. He means nothing to me, either way."

As one, they nodded, but Sasuke didn't feel too reassured. He was too busy worrying about the fight that he and Naruto were bound to have as soon as they returned to their room.

And sure enough…

"What the fuck, Sasuke?" Naruto said, sitting on his bed.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke replied defensively.

"You know what I mean. That comment with Kiba."

"It was a joke, Naruto." Sasuke said, rolling his eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me!"

Sasuke, who was about to say something scathing about the banana, suddenly looked at Naruto and laughed hard.

"And what," Naruto asked dangerously, "is so funny now?"

"We sound like an old, married couple." Sasuke said, wiping a tear from his eye as he continued to grin. "The way we fight, you'd swear we've been married for thirty years."

Naruto gave him a level stare, then grinned. "I hate to admit it, but you're right. We do sound that way."

Sasuke hugged Naruto, burying his face in the crook of his neck. "I love you."

"I love you too." Naruto whispered in his ear, the anger drained from his voice.

Shortly after, they went to bed, too tired to do anything more than sleep, but Sasuke's dreams were plagued by images of Karin. The events leading to his being raped replayed in his head one after the other, making him toss and turn uncomfortably.

"No, Karin…" he murmured out loud. "No, stop… No…"

Unbeknown to him, Naruto was awake, watching him.

"Its okay, Sasuke." He whispered quietly. "She can't hurt you anymore. It's all over…"

And he had never been more wrong.

_**XXXXX**_

A/N: Again, I'm sorry! This took an age to write, and as much as I dislike this chapter, I can't keep you guys hanging forever. I promise the next chapter will be much, much better!

In case you were wondering, the joke that Kiba told is from episode 58 of Red Vs Blue, which is utterly hilarious. If you want a good laugh, go check it out on You Tube. Trust me, it's good.

As always, reviews would be much appreciated!


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: ***Disclaims*

**Warnings: **I'm sure you've realized by now…

_**Chapter 14**_

When Sasuke awoke the next morning, it was to find the bed empty and cold. He looked around, searching for Naruto, but found nothing.

"Naruto?" he called out, but there was no answer.

Climbing out of bed, he padded on bare feet to the bathroom to brush his teeth and freshen himself up, and was half-way through when his phone beeped, signaling a message. Still brushing, he walked back to the bedroom.

He read the message through, a frown creasing his brow. It was Naruto, and he was in town with Gaara and Shikamaru. Still frowning, he typed back.

'_You should have woken me up. What are you doing in town?'_

He set the phone down again and returned to the bathroom, rinsing his mouth and cleaning his toothbrush.

Drying his mouth on a towel, he picked up his phone just as a new message came through.

'_Can't tell you, it's a surprise. I'll only be back in a couple of hours. Love you.'_

Sasuke smiled and laid his phone on the bedside table before collapsing onto his bed. For a few moments, he managed to forget about all the things that had happened in the recent past and just relax. But, of course, that was interrupted rather quickly by someone banging on the door.

"Hey, Sasuke!" Kiba's voice called. "Let me in, you bastard!"

Sasuke chuckled quietly as he unlocked the door and pulled it open, making Kiba fall forwards onto the carpet.

"Fucker." Kiba growled. "That hurt."

Sasuke shrugged. "What's got you so worked up, Kiba?"

Kiba stood and brushed his clothes off. "I heard that Naruto went out with Gaara and Shikamaru, so I thought I'd come and get you so we can go shop for a present for Naruto."

Sasuke blinked. "Er, that's nice. Um, why am I buying him a present?"

Kiba whacked Sasuke on the head and rolled his eyes. "His Christmas present, you dolt! It's gonna be Christmas soon."

"Wait, what?" Sasuke yelled. "Christmas? But, how? We haven't been back at school that long, have we?"

Kiba nodded. "I'm afraid so. Christmas break starts in three days, which is why I figured that now would be a good time to do the shopping."

"Shit…" Sasuke muttered. "What are we even doing for Christmas, Kiba?"

"Same as always." Kiba replied with a shrug. "You and I are going home, Hinata is probably coming around for the break, since it's too much of an effort for her to go home for only a week. Naruto is invited over for Christmas, too. You just need to tell him."

Sasuke nodded. "Excellent. Well, let's get going, I wanna get him something nice."

Sasuke grabbed a warm jacket and followed Kiba out the door, simultaneously texting Naruto and letting him know that he was also going to town.

"Let's just hope we don't land up bumping into Naruto and the others while we're there." Kiba commented. "That could be a little awkward, what with you two trying to shop for each other."

Something in Kiba's casual tone told Sasuke that Kiba knew something, and he wanted to know what that something was.

"Kiba, you know what he's getting me, don't you?"

Kiba's cheeks flushed red and he muttered a quiet curse. "I'm not supposed to tell you, Sasuke. I promised that I wouldn't."

"And if I beg?" Sasuke asked with a fake pout.

"Then I'll simply laugh and tell everyone that the great Sasuke Uchiha was on his knees for me."

Sasuke choked on that, going red instantly. "You might want to phrase it a little differently, Kiba."

"Why?" Kiba asked with a puzzled frown, then understanding dawned in his eyes and he laughed. "Maybe you're right. I like the way it sounds, but imagine the rumors that would fly around this place!"

Sasuke winced. "Imagine what Naruto would think…"

The trip down to the town was a cold one. Snow had piled up on the sides of the road the previous night, and more snow was falling now.

"How did I not notice how close Christmas was?" Sasuke murmured to himself.

"You had other things on your mind." Kiba said carefully.

"Too busy fighting with Naruto, you mean?" Sasuke said ruefully. "Kiba, I know there's something you want to say. Just spit it out."

Kiba sighed. "Is he worth it, Sasuke? I mean, all he does is pick fights with you. He's jealous, insecure, and generally an asshole toward you. Everyone is worried that he's going to hurt you badly."

Sasuke stopped walking and stood facing Kiba, his face blank and expressionless. His eyes had a misty look to them, but he said nothing.

"Look, I'm not telling you what to do, or anything," Kiba said hastily. "I'm just concerned. We all are."

Sasuke nodded slowly. "I understand, Kiba, and I'm not mad at you or the others. I just believe that Naruto and I can work this all out, eventually. It's like you told me, every relationship goes through its rough patches."

Kiba shrugged. "I suppose. But just a warning; if he hurts you, he has a lot of people that he'll have to answer too."

Sasuke smirked. "Who, exactly?"

"Me, first of all. And Temari wants a piece of him too, after the shit he pulled at my place with Hinata. Oh, and Hinata too. She's keeping a close eye on him. I wouldn't be surprised if Gaara and Shikamaru had a go, too."

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Sasuke said with a laugh. "Geez, overprotective much?"

"You're our friend." Kiba replied simply. "We care about you."

Sasuke smiled. "Thanks, Kiba. But I'm sure I'll be fine. It seems that we're finally past the shit with Karin. Hopefully things will cool down from here on out."

_**XXX**_

Kiba and Sasuke had been shopping for several hours, but Sasuke had still found nothing for his boyfriend. Try as he might, he just couldn't find the perfect gift.

"Where should we go next?" Sasuke asked Kiba, who merely grunted.

"You could carry your own bags, you know…" Kiba grunted, but Sasuke merely rolled his eyes.

"You dragged me down here, you carry the bags. Think of it as punishment for making me go to that stupid dance last semester."

"You mean the one where you and Naruto finally hooked up? How can you be mad at me for that?"

"Easily. I didn't want to go to the dance, and you made me get a manicure, for crying out loud. Justice is definitely in order."

Kiba sighed. "Fine, you win. But I'll get you back for this."

Sasuke smirked. "I'm counting on –"

"Sasuke-kun!"

"Hide me!"

Kiba blinked as Sasuke seemed to vanish into thin air. Looking around, he saw Sakura walking toward him with a confused expression.

"Hey Kiba." The pink haired girl greeted. "Where'd Sasuke go?"

"He wasn't feeling well." Kiba lied smoothly. "I think he's throwing up."

Sakura made a disgusted face. "That's gross. Well, tell him I say hi, okay?"

"Will do. Cheers, Sakura."

He waited until Sakura had turned a corner and vanished before looking around to see where Sasuke had gotten to. He poked his head into shops and looked around, and eventually found him in a store, standing by a shelf filled with glass ornaments. Sasuke had a curious expression on his face as he examined a glass model of a fox. The fox's coat glistened with orange and yellow, and it had nine individual tails which were curled around its sitting form. It stared forth impassively, its eyes holding depths of wisdom and grace.

"It's perfect." Sasuke whispered.

"A fox?" Kiba asked with a frown. "Why would he want a fox? And why the hell does it have more than one tail?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I learned about this in World History. It's a creature from Japanese mythology, called the Kyuubi no Kitsune, or Nine-Tailed Fox."

Kiba shrugged. "You think he'll like it?"

"I know he will."

Sasuke paid for the gift and watched as the kindly lady behind the counter wrapped it for him before leaving with Kiba and heading back up to the school. They arrived at Sasuke's room and pushed open the door, seeing Naruto sitting there on his bed and staring out the window.

"Sasuke!" He greeted with a smile. Sasuke returned the smile and nodded.

"Hey, Naru. Sorry, I decided I'd better do my Christmas shopping while I had the chance."

Naruto gave him a rueful grin. "Yeah, that's what I was thinking too. How you doing, Kiba?"

"I'm good," Kiba replied, "but I'd be better if I hadn't spent the morning lugging Sasuke's shopping around."

Sasuke smirked at him. "You brought that upon yourself, Inuzuka."

Naruto's eyes travelled to the bags with an intensely curious expression. "I suppose asking won't help?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Not in the slightest, Naru. Anyway, you've been invited to come to Kiba's for Christmas. Think your parents will let you?"

Naruto nodded. "Probably. They're going to one of my aunts for the holidays, and they know I don't like it there. I'll get hold of my mom later and ask."

"Great!" Sasuke beamed.

"Mom will be pleased." Kiba said. "She likes having the house full at Christmas time."

"I'll go call quickly and confirm it." Naruto said. "Be back soon!"

As Naruto left the room, Sasuke felt Kiba's eyes on him. He turned to his desk and began to clear away the stationary that he had left out the night before, speaking over his shoulder.

"Kiba, stop it. I know you're worried, but everything will be fine, okay?"

Behind him, he heard Kiba sigh. "You say that now, Sasuke, but every time things start going well he does another three-sixty and flips out."

Sasuke turned to face him, giving the infamous Uchiha glare, but Kiba stared back coolly.

"That doesn't work on me, Sasu. I've seen it too many times."

"Kiba, please, just let me be happy. I love Naruto, okay? And he loves me. We'll get through all of this."

Kiba let out an angry growl and turned away. "Yeah. Sure."

"So," Sasuke said in a lighter tone, "Is it just going to be you, Hinata, Naruto and I?"

Kiba nodded gruffly. "Yeah, just us. Temari was going to come with, but she and Gaara have to spend time with their family."

Sasuke half-shrugged. "Cool. I don't think I could handle another outburst from Shikamaru. You know, he still hasn't forgiven me for what I did to Kankuro."

Kiba rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm personally glad you decked the guy. Hell, I would have done the same!"

Naruto walked back into the room with a smile. "Mom and dad say it's cool. I can come over for the holiday. So who did you deck this time, Sasuke?"

Sasuke gave him a deadpan look. "No one. We were talking about Kankuro."

"Oh…" Naruto muttered, looking away. He still felt guilty for the things he had said to Sasuke after that incident.

Silence followed as Sasuke continued to tidy the room. Kiba left shortly after, and Sasuke crawled into bed with Naruto, smiling softly to himself. Naruto, on the other hand, was tense. He didn't know why, but he was feeling irrationally angry with the Uchiha, even though he had done nothing wrong.

_**XXX**_

Sasuke entered the martial arts class quickly and fell into place in the line of students, standing between Kiba and Naruto.

"Alright," the teacher, Professor Ibiki said. "I'm going to pair you guys up and let you fight. Remember, don't try to hurt each other. Just practice the defensive moves I taught you last lesson."

They nodded, gulping. Ibiki was not a person that provoked feelings of warmth and fuzziness. In fact, he inspired fear in most of his students. His face and bald head were covered in crisscrossing lattices of scar tissue, and his eyes were fierce.

Sasuke took up a stance and faced Temari, waiting for her to attack.

"How are you and Naruto?" she asked as she made to punch. Sasuke avoided the attack and shrugged.

"We're good, as far as I know. Aside from a slight argument last night, we're pretty happy."

Temari frowned and aimed a kick at Sasuke's midriff, which was deflected by his leg.

"You guys are still fighting?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Tema, it's not bad. All couples fight, right?"

"All couples fight. But I think you're just afraid to admit that things aren't as good as you make them out to be because you don't want to be single again."

Sasuke was so stunned by what she had said that he didn't even try to block her next attack. Her fist slammed into his chin and sent him crashing to the ground.

"Son of a bitch!" Sasuke exclaimed. "Shit, Temari, where the hell did you get so strong?"

Temari blushed slightly. "Sorry, Sasuke. I thought you would block it."

"I would have if you didn't distract me like that." He muttered as he got to his feet. "And you're wrong, by the way."

Temari shook her head. "I'm not wrong, Sasuke. You don't want to be alone, so you're pretending that everything is peachy. And I don't blame you, considering what things have been like for you. But if it gets worse, I just hope you'll realize it."

Temari turned her gaze to other pairs and watched them quietly while Sasuke thought about what she said. Deep down, he suspected that she was right. Kiba was right. Things weren't as good as he claimed them to be, but he didn't want to air his opinions and land up alone, so he simply blocked it all out.

"I can't do it." He finally said in a hushed tone. "I can't give up, just because things aren't going well. I have to try; I need to see if this will work."

Temari nodded in understanding. "I know. But if it gets to the point that it starts to hurt, you need to pull back. I don't want him to break your heart, Sasuke."

"Easier said than done, Temari…"

After class had finished, Sasuke walked slowly through the boy's dormitory, heading for the staircase. Halfway up, he heard some commotion on the floor above him and frowned.

'What the hell?' he thought to himself, speeding up slightly. When he got there, he found a crowd of people gathered in a circle around what appeared to be a fight, but he couldn't see who it involved. It appeared that the fight was over, though, and people were beginning to disperse, revealing Gaara, whose lip was bleeding profusely, leaning against a wall and glaring daggers at none other than Neji.

"To hell with you, Hyuuga." Gaara spat out at the pale-eyed boy. "Stop trying to screw around with my friends.

Neji stared at him through one eye, the other having swollen shut and slowly darkening. "I was only trying to help, Gaara. It's not my fault that you jumped to conclusions."

With a snarl of rage, Gaara pushed away from the wall and sped toward Neji, who raised a clenched fist.

Without thinking, Sasuke darted forward and got in between the two, taking the punch that had been intended for the Hyuuga. His head snapped to the side, and white dots popped in his vision for a few moments before he turned his head back to Gaara, who looked shocked.

"Sasuke? What the fuck are you doing defending that trash?"

Sasuke glanced back at Neji, who seemed even more stunned than Gaara.

"Come on, Gaara." Sasuke said, putting a hand on Gaara's arm. "Let's go outside."

Gaara shot Neji one last look of venom before following Sasuke down the stairs and toward the door. Outside, everything was covered in a blanket of pure white snow, making the world look like a totally different place. They wiped snow of one of the long benches and sat in silence for a few moments before Sasuke spoke.

"What was that about?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Gaara grunted. "He was talking to Shikamaru. Spreading lies about you and Naruto."

"Oh?"

"He said that he had been talking to Naruto recently, and that he said he was going to break up with you. He told Shikamaru to tell you to break up with Naruto first. Shika didn't believe him, of course, and walked away, but my temper got the best of me… God, I want to kill that fucking Hyuuga!"

As he shouted that last part, Sasuke looked up and spotted Hinata, who had frozen in her tracks and was staring at Gaara with wide, frightened eyes.

"He means your cousin!" Sasuke said hastily. Hinata's face flushed red, and Sasuke laughed loudly, already having forgotten Gaara's story. Gaara was laughing too, and Hinata giggled softly before joining them on the bench.

"Hey, why wasn't I invited to this get together?" A voice called, and soon Kiba was sitting beside them.

Sasuke grinned at his step-brother and shrugged. "It wasn't exactly planned. But maybe we should let the others know, before they suspect some kind of conspiracy."

Kiba nodded and pulled out his phone. "I'll call Shikamaru. Gaara, you can call your sister, and Sasuke can get hold of this boyfriend."

Sasuke nodded as he and Gaara pulled out their phones.

"I have no one to call." Hinata said, pretending to pout.

"Call Sakura." Sasuke suggested. Everyone fell silent and stared at the Uchiha blankly, until Temari's voice was heard, yelling through Gaara's phone. Gaara quickly tried to calm his sister down, while Kiba shrugged and dialed Shikamaru's number. Hinata shook her head in confusion and called Sakura, while Sasuke called Naruto.

"Sasuke?" Naruto answered.

"Yeah, it's me." Sasuke said.

"Where are you?"

"There was some trouble between Gaara and Neji, so I brought him outside to cool down, and we came across Kiba and Hinata, so we figured we'd all get together out here."

There was a slight pause.

"But its cold out there, Sasuke!" Naruto whined, but Sasuke knew it was a sham.

"Just get out here." Sasuke said with a chuckle. He heard Naruto laugh, and the line was disconnected.

"All set?" he asked the others, and they nodded. It wasn't long before their friends had joined them, including a confused looking Sakura.

"I'm not exactly sure why I'm here…" Sakura said quietly to Hinata, but Sasuke overheard her.

"Sasuke suggested it." Hinata replied, much to the pink haired girl's surprise. "He wanted us to all get together."

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said with a smile.

Sasuke returned her smile and looked up at the sky, where a new flurry of snow was busy falling, swirling around them gracefully.

Naruto curled himself up against Sasuke, nuzzling into his neck and talking in a quiet tone.

"I'm sorry about the fighting." He said. "I haven't been myself lately, and I didn't mean any of it."

"I know." Sasuke replied, equally quiet. "We'll get through this, Naruto."

Naruto nodded and huddled, if possible, even closer. "I hope so, Sasuke. I really do love you, you know."

Sasuke smiled and buried his face in Naruto's cold blond hair. "I know. And I love you too."

For a few hours they sat and spoke of random things, enjoying some time together, and even Sakura began to enjoy herself, despite not really knowing the others well. She got on particularly well with Temari and Shikamaru, being one of the smarter people in the college. Silence fell around them as the snowfall became thicker, the ghost of their laughter echoing around them. Sasuke closed his eyes for a moment and relished it. This is how things were meant to be.

Evening had fallen, and everyone had left for the comforts of their warm rooms, save for Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata.

"It's getting late." Hinata said, almost to herself. "I'll see you two tomorrow, when Kiba's mom comes to fetch us."

Sasuke nodded and offered her a small smile. "Sleep well, Hinata. See you tomorrow."

With a nod, the small girl left.

"I can't believe its Christmas break already." Naruto murmured. "It feels like we only just got back here."

"It does." Sasuke agreed, shivering slightly from the cold. "Hey, let's head inside. It's getting really cold out here."

Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke's waist, holding him tightly. "Not yet. I wanna be out here with you. The snow is beautiful."

Sasuke couldn't deny that. The snow was coming down thick and fluffy, obscuring the world and making it look like they were on their own, cut off from the rest of the world. Pulling away from Naruto slightly, he looked into his cerulean eyes and kissed him deeply, conveying his feelings through that simple action. His tongue swept across the blonde's lower lip, and Naruto opened his mouth in reply, allowing Sasuke to deepen the kiss. It seemed like an age passed before they broke apart, staring into each others eyes as the world grew darker around them.

"Let's go in." Naruto whispered, brushing his lips against Sasuke's cheek. A shiver that had nothing to do with cold ran up his spine as he took Naruto's hand and began the walk back to their dormitories.

_**XXX**_

As the door to their room closed behind them, Naruto's lips were on Sasuke's. They kissed with frenzied passion, moving toward the bed and pulling their clothing off. As they fell onto the soft blankets, with Naruto pinning Sasuke down, the raven haired boy let out a moan, grinding his body against his lover. Naruto responded by pressing down onto Sasuke, pressing their clothed erections against one another. Sasuke quickly pulled his shirt over his head; Naruto's having been discarded by the door, and felt the heat between their bodies as their bare torsos touched. Naruto began to work on Sasuke's pants, and Sasuke was all too eager to remove the offending item of clothing. He reached down and undid the button, deftly pulling off both his pants and his boxers in one fluid movement. He hissed slightly as his erection sprang free and felt the cold air, but was distracted when Naruto's mouth engulfed his member expertly, sucking him slowly from base to tip, moaning all the while as if the act was pleasuring him just as much. Sasuke reached for Naruto's belt and quickly undid it, pulling it to the floor. The same happened to the blonde's boxers, and Sasuke quickly wrapped a hand around the hard cock. With a gentle tug, he conveyed what he wanted Naruto to do, and Naruto quickly obliged by laying next to the Uchiha, his mouth still working on Sasuke's cock. Sasuke quickly returned the favor, wrapping his lips around the warm flesh and allowing his tongue to sweep over the head, tasting the pre-cum that had gathered in the slit before plunging the whole thing into his inviting mouth. Naruto moaned loudly and bucked his hips, causing Sasuke to gag slightly, but the Uchiha didn't slow down for a second. He moved a hand down to fondle Naruto's balls as his mouth worked over his hardness, creating a vacuum. Naruto's began moaning around Sasuke's member, the vibrations causing Sasuke to make noises he didn't think he was capable of, especially with a penis in his mouth. Soon, Naruto gripped Sasuke's ass and forced his member further into his mouth, just as his own cock pushed into Sasuke and began to release in waves of pure ecstasy. Sasuke tried his best to swallow all of it, but some dribbled past his lips and onto Naruto's tanned thigh.

After Naruto had ridden out his orgasm, he pulled off of Sasuke and took a long, steadying breath.

"I want you inside of me." He said in a deep, lust filled voice. He got onto his back and opened his legs as Sasuke settled himself between them, already massaging lubricant onto himself. Sasuke pressed the head of his aching member against the blonde's entrance and pushed in slowly. When the head was in, he paused and allowed Naruto to adjust before pushing another inch or two in. Once he was completely sheathed in his boyfriend, Sasuke began to push in and out of him, creating a slow but steady rhythm as sweat began to drip from his brow.

"Naruto…" he moaned, wrapping his hand around Naruto's still hard cock and working it to the same rhythm as his hips.

"Harder." Naruto said, pushing down against Sasuke. Sasuke increased his pace, but Naruto pressed down even harder against him.

"Harder, Sasuke-kun… I wanna feel it tomorrow…"

Sasuke's senses dimmed as Naruto said those words, his primary focus becoming the feeling of sliding in and out of Naruto's velvety insides. His breathing became harsh as he pounded into the blond furiously, making Naruto scream in pleasure. He slammed his mouth against Naruto's in a rough, hard kiss, feeling Naruto's body tense as he gave in to his second orgasm. As cum splashed against their bare torsos, and Naruto's walls clenched around him, Sasuke felt his own climax take over. Lights danced in front of his eyes as he filled Naruto with his seed, pressing so hard into the blonde that it became nearly impossible to tell where one began and the other ended.

Collapsing on top of Naruto, Sasuke breathed in the scents of their love making. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke and kissed him gently as Sasuke slid out of him.

After a quick clean up, the two boys fell asleep in each other's arms. Sasuke's last thought was that he truly did belong with Naruto, and he never wanted to let him go.

_**XXX**_

A/N: Yaoi… /drools.

I hope you all enjoyed the new chapter. The next chapter will be up soon, but even sooner if you review!

Spoiler for the next chapter? I think so…

It's heated anger, passionate confessions, and the return of Karin! And news that could make or break the happy couple… So, review and I'll write it faster!

Lord R.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto… Blah.

**Warnings: **Yaoi, language… the usual.

**A/N: **A couple of people have complained thatI've made Naruto out to be a complete asshole in this story. I'd just like to point out that that isn't the case. Naruto is impulsive, and he doesn't think before he acts, much like he is in the anime. He's suspicious and paranoid, and he speaks before he thinks, making it seem like he's totally unreasonable, but Sasuke knows better, which is why he still believes in him. This is all a part of the eventual plot, and the way this story will end, which is also helping to set up the plot for the sequel, so bear with me.

_**Chapter 15**_

Christmas break started out pretty well. When Tsume arrived to pick them up, they piled into her car and sped off, and for the first time in years, Sasuke smiled at the thought of going home. Naruto was leaning against Sasuke's shoulder, talking quietly with Kiba, while Hinata and Tsume were up front, talking about college. The snow was falling lightly, and the roads were relatively quiet as they neared there destination. Once they had arrived, they ran into the house, where Hana had already stirred up a fire in the fireplace, knowing that everyone would be cold.

Sasuke sat back on the couch while the others were huddled around the fire, shoving each other around and exchanging playful banter.

"Sasuke, come join us." Naruto said, smiling over at the Uchiha.

"I'd rather not get pushed into the fire, thanks…" Sasuke retorted.

"At least then you'd be hot." Kiba said with a huge grin, making Naruto hit him on the shoulder.

"Hey! He is hot!" Naruto defended his boyfriend.

Sasuke smirked at Kiba, who rolled his eyes.

"Who's hungry?" Tsume asked, walking into the living room with a tray filled with sandwiches.

"Food!" Kiba yelled excitedly, grabbing one and shoving it into his mouth.

Tsume laughed. "Calm down Kiba, leave some for the rest of them."

Sasuke picked up a sandwich and bit a corner off. He glanced around the room properly, noticing that Tsume and Hana had put up the Christmas decorations already. In the corner of the room stood a large Christmas tree that was covered in baubles and tinsel. The walls had more tinsel hanging at various points. And across one wall, large silver letters proclaimed: ME RY CHRIS M S. Sasuke frowned and looked at the floor, where the missing letters busy collecting dust. Naruto, following Sasuke's gaze, shrugged.

Sasuke looked back to the tree. Underneath the fake branches were over a dozen presents, all stacked neatly and he made a mental note to wrap Naruto's present and stick it there.

"I love Christmas." Kiba said. "The snow, the presents, my friends… It's the best time of year."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Normally I spend Christmas with twenty relatives crammed into the house. It's crowded, noisy, and irritating, but I can't help but enjoy it. But this will be a great Christmas."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto kissed Sasuke's cheek, blushing. "Because it's our first Christmas together."

"Oh." Sasuke said, blushing too.

"Aren't they cute!" Hinata squealed, hugging them both.

"Aaaw, how sweet, Naruto." Kiba said with another grin, joining the hug.

"Mom!" Hana yelled from the doorway. "Kiba's having an orgy in the living room!"

"Get lost, Hana." Kiba growled.

"Mom! Kiba's being mean!"

"Hana, leave them alone!" Tsume yelled back from the kitchen. "Let them have an orgy in peace."

Hana's eyes widened, and her mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out. After a minute, she simply backed out of the room and ran up the stairs.

Sasuke and Kiba immediately burst out laughing, tears forming in their eyes as they clutched their stomachs.

"Oh man," Kiba said, wiping his eyes, "that was priceless! Thanks mom!"

Tsume walked back into the living, this time holding a tray of hot cocoa and grinning from ear to ear.

"She needed that, I think." Tsume commented as she put the tray on the table and handing out cups. "She needs to stop trying to get you into trouble. Or at least use more believable lies."

"Thank you, Mrs. Inuzuka." Naruto said as he accepted his cup. Tsume snatched it back with a glare.

"Call her by name." Sasuke advised a stunned looking Naruto. "Or she'll clobber you."

"Th – thank you, Tsume."

Tsume smiled again and gave him his cup back. On her way out of the room, she paused at the doorway.

"And kids, please use protection during your orgy. We don't need poor Hinata impregnated by three different men."

Hinata went scarlet and began stuttering incoherent words, before promptly passing out.

"Oh my God, you killed Hinata!" Kiba exclaimed, pointing at his mother.

"You bastard!" Sasuke yelled, also pointing.

Tsume gave them a deadpan look. "No more South Park for either of you."

Everyone burst out laughing. Naruto gently lifted Hinata onto the couch, and they drank their cocoa, waiting for the poor Hyuuga girl to wake up.

"I thought she was over that." Kiba said, and Sasuke nodded.

"Did this used to happen a lot?" Naruto asked.

"All the time when we were younger." Sasuke replied. "Hinata gets embarrassed easily, and her blood pressure skyrockets. She turns red, makes an meep type sound, then falls over."

"Meep type sound?" Naruto asked, looking confused.

"Yup." Kiba replied with a nod. "Just like that. Meep."

"So it's her blood pressure? Isn't she on medication?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No. The doctors said that her condition would correct itself over time, which is why this doesn't happen so often any more. I guess mom really caught her off guard."

"Must have." Kiba agreed, draining the last of his cocoa. "Man, this is going to be an awesome Christmas. Just as soon as Hinata wakes up, that is."

_**XXX**_

The day before Christmas, the four of them had decided to go outside for a snowball fight. It was freezing cold, and the snowfall was thick, so they were bundled up in as much clothing as they could possibly wear, making it difficult to make a proper snowball.

"Kiba, duck!" Naruto yelled, just as a snowball connected with the back of Kiba's head.

"I'll get you for that, Hinata!" he called out to the Hyuuga. She grinned at him from across the yard and began scooping up more snow.

"You know, Kiba, I think we're losing this." Naruto said as he patted his snow into a ball.

Kiba grunted. "That's what happens when Sasuke and Hinata are on a team."

Sasuke threw a snowball, which collided with Naruto's midriff.

"No fair!" Naruto yelled.

"All is fair in love and war." Sasuke shot back, smirking. He threw another one, missing Kiba by only an inch. Kiba threw one back, getting Sasuke in the face.

"Oh yeah!" Kiba exclaimed, doing a little victory dance. A second later, he was hit by two balls simultaneously. The sudden impact made him lose his balance, and he plowed face first into the snow.

Naruto burst out laughing, and was hit by a snowball thrown by Hinata.

"Okay! Okay! We surrender!" Naruto said through a laugh.

Sasuke ran forward and tackled Naruto into the snow. Grinning, he kissed the blond deeply and held him.

"I win." He said, and Naruto smirked.

"Not yet."

Naruto shoved a handful of snow down the back of Sasuke's jacket, making the Uchiha's eyes go wide. He jumped up began trying to get the snow out before it melted, yelling about the cold. When all of it was either out or soaked into the jacket, Sasuke glared at Naruto.

"My turn." He said, tackling the blond again and tickling him ferociously. Naruto's frenzied laughter rang out through the air as he tried to fight Sasuke off, begging him to stop.

"Eat snow, Uzumaki!" Sasuke declared, shoving a handful of snow into Naruto's face and hair.

"Aah, no fair! Stop!"

Sasuke chuckled and wiped the snow off of Naruto's lips before kissing them gently. He pulled back and stared into the blue eyes in front of him, losing himself in their depths.

"I love you Naruto." Sasuke whispered, kissing him again. Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke and held him close, even after the kiss had broken.

"Where'd the others go?" Naruto asked quietly.

Sasuke shrugged, burying his face against Naruto's neck. "They probably wanted to give us some privacy."

Naruto giggled. "Sasuke, your face is freezing! Let's go inside and get warm."

The blond stood, then helped Sasuke to his feet. Before he could walk away, Sasuke's arms wrapped around him again.

"Kiba's got a king-sized tub…" Sasuke said in a husky tone. "Care to join me in there?"

Naruto smirked and gave Sasuke a glance that spoke whole volumes.

Toweling his hair dry, Sasuke walked into his bedroom wearing only a pair of long trousers. The bedroom had been a surprise. When they had gotten home, Tsume had led him to the bedroom that was two rooms away from Kiba's. He opened the door and stepped into what appeared to be his bedroom back at the Uchiha manor. His collection of CD's, movies and books lined one wall in their usual bookcase. His bed was under the window, covered in his thick duvet, and above the bed, hanging on the wall, was the Uchiha crest that his father had given him when he was ten.

Walking into the room now was still weird. Every item was familiar, but so out of place at the Inuzuka home.

Throwing the towel onto the bed, he yawned and sat at his desk, logging into his computer. Out in the hallway, he heard the phone ringing, so he stood and walked to his door. As he put his hand on the door handle, however, he heard Tsume's voice.

"Hello?"

Sasuke shrugged and turned back to his computer, but stopped when he heard Tsume speak again.

"Sasuke isn't here…" A pause. " No, I will not take a damn message."

There was another, longer pause while Tsume listened to whoever was on the other end of the line.

"What could you possibly have to say to him? He's just getting his life back on track again, so there is no way in hell I'll let you speak to him. Goodbye."

He heard Tsume slam the phone down. Hurriedly, he sat at his computer again and pretended to look busy in case she came into the room, but his mind was far away.

Who could it have been? Tsume was usually never rude to anyone. And why had she said those things?

Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to his computer, pushing the incident out of his mind. He had almost completely forgotten the incident, and would have done so if it hadn't been for what happened the following morning. He was making his way back from the bathroom, sleepily rubbing his eyes when he heard Tsume talking on the phone again.

"I told you, Sasuke isn't here! Stop calling here or I'll have you up for harassment!"

Sasuke rounded the corner just as Tsume slammed the phone down forcefully, her face contorted in anger.

"Who was that?" Sasuke asked, all traces of sleep now gone. Tsume jumped guiltily and looked at him in panic.

"Um, no one, sweetie. Don't worry about it."

"You said I wasn't here." Sasuke pointed out. "And the same happened yesterday."

Tsume cringed. "You heard that, huh?"

Sasuke nodded. "Mom, who's looking for me?"

Just then, Kiba came out of his bedroom, clad only in his silky boxers and yawning widely.

"Morning." He mumbled, walking past them.

Tsume looked at Sasuke, who was still looking at her, and quickly found a diversionary tactic.

"Merry Christmas guys!" she said with a wide, fake smile. Sasuke scowled.

"Christmas…" Kiba mumbled, shuffling down the corridor. "Yeah…"

For just a moment, Sasuke thought that Tsume's plan hadn't worked, but halfway down the corridor Kiba's brain kicked in and he spun around, grinning.

"Merry Christmas!" he yelled, tackling Sasuke onto the ground.

"Ouch, Kiba, get off of me…" Sasuke grumbled. "Merry Christmas, okay?"

Kiba grinned even wider and let Sasuke up.

"Merry Christmas mom." Kiba and Sasuke said in unison, Sasuke much less enthusiastic than his brother.

"Let's wake up the others," Tsume suggested. "Then we'll have breakfast and open up the presents."

"PRESENTS!" Kiba bellowed, running to Hana's room.

Sasuke didn't budge. He stood in the corridor, arms crossed and scowling darkly.

"Cheap move." He muttered.

Tsume gave an apologetic smile. "It bought time."

"I still want to know…"

There was a pause, then a deep sigh.

"Fine. But later. Go wake Naruto and let's have breakfast."

Sasuke nodded and stepped past her, into his room.

"Naru…" he murmured into the blond's ear. "Naruto, wake up…"

"Fuck off." Naruto mumbled, still fast asleep.

"Naruto…"

Naruto rolled over, pulling the duvet over his head. Sasuke shook his head and smiled as a sneaky thought came to mind.

"Hey, Hidan is here."

Naruto shot up, bashing his head into Sasuke's jaw as he did so.

"Shit, fuck!" Sasuke swore, clutching his jaw. "God damn it, Naruto… I was only kidding…"

Naruto frowned. "You used that to wake me up? Despicable…"

Sasuke grinned, and Naruto smiled in return.

"Merry Christmas Naruto."

"Merry Christmas Sasuke."

They shared a long, protracted kiss, and Naruto almost successfully got Sasuke back under the duvet before Tsume called everyone for breakfast.

As they walked down to the kitchen, Naruto was pouting.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked in concern.

"Nothing." Naruto replied. "I was just hoping to get you back in bed… with me…"

Sasuke blushed a little. "Plenty of time for that tonight, Naruto. For now, lets just enjoy Christmas."

The breakfast that Tsume had prepare were stacks of pancakes that were drenched n blueberry syrup, and it took them all of ten minutes to devour the entire pile. When they were done, she led them into the living room, where they all gathered around the tree and started handing each other gifts.

"Here you go, Hinata." Sasuke said, handing over his gift for her. "Hope you'll like it."

Hinata ripped the wrapping off of the box and opened it, laughing when she pulled out a pocket stun-gun.

"And there's some manga there too." Sasuke said, grinning. Hinata pulled out three volumes, giggling slightly when she saw that they were yaoi.

"This is from me." Kiba said, handing Sasuke a package. He pulled the wrapping off and found two new CD's.

"Thanks, Kiba. Here, this is from Naruto and I."

He handed Kiba a large box, but stopped him when he made to pull the wrapping off.

"You, er, might want to open that in private."

Kiba smirked and gave the box a curious look before setting it down.

"Here, Sasuke." Naruto said nervously, handing him a slim box. "I didn't know what to get you, but this reminded me of you…"

Sasuke unwrapped the box and found a long silver chain with a pendant. The chain alone must have cost a fortune, but the pendant was breathtaking.

It was a beautifully crafted leaf. The outline, stem, and veins were all made from a dark stone, possibly obsidian, and the inside was crafted from a bright green jade. Reflecting the light that glanced off of the snow outside, it mesmerized Sasuke.

"It's beautiful, Naruto." He said with a smile. He immediately put the chain around his neck, letting the pendant rest on his chest. "Here's mine."

Naruto took the box and unwrapped it carefully. His eyes widened when he got to the nine-tailed fox, and his jaw dropped.

"It's like you said." Sasuke explained. "I saw it, and I thought of you."

Naruto held the fox carefully, as if scared that a single breath would shatter it.

"I love it." Naruto said quietly, gazing at it with severe intensity. "It's remarkable."

"Why would a fox remind you of him?" Hana asked curiously, and Sasuke blushed.

"The way that we got together… It was like a game, with me chasing and him cleverly dodging. Like a fox." His gaze went up to Naruto's face, staring into the blond's cerulean eyes. "But also, foxes are intelligent, beautiful, and willful creatures, just like my Naruto."

Naruto blushed and smiled, pretending not to hear Hana as she made retching noises.

The rest of the gift giving went by quickly, and soon Sasuke was carrying a pile of CD's, clothing, and assorted objects to his room, with Naruto following behind.

"Good haul this year." Naruto said cheerily. "And I haven't even gotten my presents from my parents yet."

"I hope Kiba enjoys his present." Sasuke said with a smirk as he opened his bedroom door.

"Oh, I'm sure he will." Naruto replied. They had gotten him a whole bunch of sex toys, lube, dirty magazines, adult dvd's, and, to cap it all off, a blow-up doll.

Sasuke dumped his presents on his bed and lifted the pendant from his chest, gazing at it again.

"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said. "Look at the back of it."

Sasuke turned the pendant over and found two letters that had been clumsily scratched onto the underside. An S and an N.

Instantly, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Naruto's waist and kissed him deeply. It was a few minutes before they pulled apart, gasping for air.

"If you're trying to kill me with long kisses," Naruto panted, "carry on. I like it."

Sasuke laughed. Out in the hall, the phone rang.

"Hold that thought." He muttered quickly, sprinting into the hall. Tsume was coming down from the opposite side of the corridor, and she looked faintly forlorn as she saw Sasuke pick up the phone. Her expression spoke a thousand words, and not one of them were good.

_**XXX**_

"Hello?" Sasuke said into the receiver. For a moment there was silence.

"Hello, Sasuke." A female voice replied. "I thought your friends mother said you weren't there?"

Sasuke grunted. "Well I'm here now. Who is this?"

Looking up at Tsume, he saw her grimace.

"It's Karin."

Sasuke let out an involuntary growl, and moved to put the phone down.

"Don't hang up!" Karin said quickly, panic in her voice. "This is important."

"What could possibly be important enough for you to call me?" Sasuke snarled. "How did you even get this number?"

"I called Naruto's mom. She didn't want to give me the number, but I explained that it was really urgent."

Sasuke grunted again. "Where are you calling from? I can hear a lot of background noise."

Karin sighed. "I'm calling from the penitentiary."

Sasuke smirked. "So your trial didn't go so well then?"

"No… I got twenty-five to life."

"You deserved it." Sasuke said before he could stop himself.

"I know, okay? Karin practically yelled. "I fucked up. I get it. And I'm sorry, Sasuke, I really am. But this is more important than that."

Sasuke growled slightly, just as Naruto joined them in the hall. He gave the blond a dark look, showing that he was angry with who he was talking to. Naruto frowned, but his unspoken question was answered almost immediately.

"Then get to the point, Karin. I'm trying to enjoy Christmas."

Naruto's face darkened like a thundercloud, and he held out his hand, asking for the phone. Sasuke motioned for him to wait a second.

There was another, much deeper sigh on the other end of the line. "Sasuke, you have to understand, this is a difficult situation."

"Spit it out, Karin!"

"… Sasuke, I'm pregnant."

The walls around Sasuke seemed to move, undulating in a sickening way.

"What?" he croaked out.

"I'm pregnant. And you're the father."

Sasuke shook his head, willing it to not be real. "No… It can't be –"

"You were the last guy I slept with." Karin said. "And before you it was Naruto, months before. It could only be you."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He couldn't think of anything that he _could _say to that.

"Sasuke, I'm not joking. They wanted me to ask you to come in sometime to discuss it. I can show you the results, and then we can discuss what we're going to do."

Sasuke shook his head again. "No. Karin, you're kidding, right?"

"I'm not. I'm pregnant with your child, Sasuke. You're going to be a father."

Sasuke fell silent.

"Look, I need to go. I'll call again tomorrow so we can figure this out, okay?"

"Okay…"

"Bye."

"Bye…"

The line went dead, and Sasuke put the phone down.

"What did that slut want now?" Naruto asked, putting an arm around Sasuke. Then he noticed that Sasuke was swaying, unable to support his own weight properly.

"Shit, Sasuke, are you okay?"

Sasuke nodded and motioned to the bedroom. Without a word to Tsume, the two of them went in and shut the door behind them. Once inside, Sasuke felt tears build up in his eyes.

"FUCK!" he screamed, punching the wall. The paint chipped, and his knuckles began to bleed.

"Sasuke! What happened?" Naruto asked in concern. "You're really freaking me out here…"

"Sorry." Sasuke mumbled, crossing over to the bed and falling onto it. He buried his face in his hands, unsure of what to do next. More importantly, how the hell would he tell Naruto?

"Sasuke," Naruto said pleadingly, "talk to me."

Sasuke sighed as he felt tear drops fall into his palms.

"Naruto, she's… she's… FUCK! That bitch is pregnant! And it's my child!"

Naruto froze. His eyes became cloudy, like he was a million miles away.

"Say something." Sasuke said. "Yell at me. Hit me. I don't care, just don't sit there and say nothing. I can't take it right now. I need to know what you're thinking."

Naruto remained stoic for another moment, then sighed. "Fuck." He said softly.

"I'm sorry." Sasuke muttered through his tears.

Naruto shook his head slowly. "No. Don't apologize. This isn't your fault, Sasu. I mean, I know I kinda overreacted at first, but I'm not going to do that this time. It nearly broke us apart when I flipped out about it, and I don't intend to make the same mistake again."

Sasuke nodded, still sobbing quietly.

"Look, this isn't your fault, Sasuke. It's hers. We'll figure it out, I promise…"

"You don't hate me?" Sasuke asked thickly.

Naruto smiled softly and shook his head. "No. I don't hate you. I'm just, well, shocked I guess. I can't believe it. You're sure it's yours?"

Sasuke shrugged. "She says it is. She says I was the last guy she slept with. And before me, the last guy was you."

Naruto frowned. "That was a long time ago. So unless she's lying…"

"Then it is mine. She wants me to go to the penitentiary, where she is, to discuss it."

They fell silent, and Naruto leaned against Sasuke, rubbing his arm gently.

"I love you, Sasuke." He whispered. "I love you so much. We'll get through this."

_**XXXXX**_

A/N: Another chapter done. A lot of you didn't want this to happen, I know, but it's important to the story. It's something that will strengthen their relationship, and it leads to what happens at the end of this story, so bear with me.

As always, reviews are greatly appreciated, and they inspire me to update sooner, so please drop me a review.

Lord R.


	16. Chapter 16

_**Disclaimer: **_I do not own Naruto

_**Chapter 16**_

It had been two days since Karin's phone call, and Naruto was still seething on the inside. He still had trouble believing that Karin was really pregnant, though since it seemed that Sasuke believed her, he didn't say anything. They would know the truth when they went to see Karin the next day, but unfortunately that day came all too soon. Before Naruto knew it, he was sitting beside Sasuke in Tsume's car, heading out of town. They had gotten up earlier than usual that morning, since the drive to the penitentiary would take well over an hour and a half, and Naruto was still feeling slightly dazed. Sasuke, on the other hand, was more than alert, his whole body trembling with nervous apprehension.

"Relax, Sasuke." Tsume said, glancing at the in the rear view mirror. "What could possibly be this bad?"

Naruto exchanged a guilty look with his counterpart. Sasuke had made him promise to not tell Tsume until after they knew for sure, and Naruto still felt bad for lying to Kiba's mother.

And another part of the blond boy was still mad at Sasuke for landing himself in this mess in the first place. Sure, he was drunk, as well as drugged, but for some reason that just wasn't enough of an excuse for Naruto. He loved Sasuke a lot, but doubt was beginning to cloud his mind, making him think that it was all Sasuke's fault.

"We're nearly there, boys." Tsume said, her voice still uncertain. "Sasuke, are you sure you want to do this? You really don't have to see that girl."

"I really do have to, mom." Sasuke whispered back, his face paler than usual. "I need to know for sure…"

"Know what for sure?"

Sasuke glanced out the window, looking positively terrified, and Naruto took his hand to comfort him. He couldn't stay mad at Sasuke, no matter what happened, and it was his duty to help Sasuke through this.

"It'll be alright." He whispered, trying to convince himself as much as Sasuke. Sasuke smiled weakly before turning his attention back to the buildings that were passing by as they drove. Too soon, they were driving through the security gates of the penitentiary, and parking the car. As they climbed out, Naruto took Sasuke's hand, intending to prove to Karin that she hadn't gotten what she had wanted. Naruto was determined to hold his head up high and flaunt the fact that he and Sasuke were still together, and that her antics had been in vain, purely self -destructive.

Sasuke didn't notice, hanging his head low as they entered the building and headed toward the visitor's area.

Sasuke stopped suddenly, and Naruto looked at him in confusion.

"Mom, I need you to wait outside." He said in a low tone.

Tsume's jaw clenched involuntarily, and Naruto sighed. Knowing Sasuke, he'd probably want to talk to Karin alone, and he wasn't happy with that idea.

"May I ask why?" she asked coldly.

Sasuke shook his head slowly. "I'm sorry. I'll explain everything once we come out again, I promise."  
"And Naruto?" Tsume asked. "Is he going in with you?"

Sasuke nodded, taking Naruto by surprise. "This involves him as well, and I think it'd be best if he hears this for himself. Besides, he could probably think of some things that I wouldn't, considering that he knows Karin far better than I do."

"Are you sure, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. "I wouldn't be upset with you if you asked me to wait with Tsume."

That was a complete lie. Had Sasuke asked that of him, he would have exploded then and there at the Uchiha, but Sasuke shook his head again.

"No. I want you there with me, Naruto. Please?"

Naruto found himself smiling softly at his boyfriend and squeezing his hand softly.

"Of course. Let's go."

Tsume sighed deeply. "I'm not happy about this, Sasuke. As soon as you come out of there, I want to know exactly what this was all about, or so help me I'll make you suffer."

Sasuke chuckled, making Tsume scowl at him. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything as soon as this is dealt with."

With that, Sasuke led Naruto into the mess hall, where the non-violent prisoners were allowed to spend some time with visitors.

Karin was relatively easy to spot, sitting alone at a long table and looking down at a book in her hands.

Naruto followed Sasuke to the table and sat down beside him, startling Karin out of her thoughts.

"You came." She stated in a surprised tone.

"I said I would." Sasuke replied in a neutral tone. Naruto glanced between them, feeling the uneasy atmosphere.

"I suppose we had better go see the doctor, then." Karin said with a sigh.

Sasuke nodded and stood, but Naruto remained seated.

"Hold on, Karin." He said, mimicking Sasuke's neutral tone. "I know you, and I know how manipulative you are. What assurance do we have that you haven't bribed the doctor into telling us exactly what you want?"

"You think I _want _to be pregnant?" she exclaimed, her voice raising several octaves. "Do you really think I want to have a baby while I'm in prison?"

"Obviously not." Sasuke said. "But Naruto has a good point. Can we speak to the warden, and have a different doctor come in?"

Karin looked furious, but nodded abruptly.

"Do what you like. This is no joke."

Sasuke nodded and turned to the warden's office.

"You coming, Naru?"

Naruto shook his head. "I'm going to stay here and talk to Karin."

Sasuke didn't look thrilled by that, but he let it slide. With a nod, he walked off to speak to the warden.

Naruto and Karin sat again, an awkward silence falling between them.

"Assuming you really are pregnant," Naruto began, but Karin's anger flared again.

"I am!" she nearly yelled. "This is not a joke, Uzumaki!"

Naruto held up a hand, silencing her.

"Assuming you are, how sure are you that Sasuke is the father?"

Karin slumped in her seat, looking disgruntled. "I'm positive about it. Before him, you were the last guy I was with."

Naruto raised an eyebrow skeptically. "It's been two years since we broke up, Karin. Surely you've had several people in that time."

"Are you calling me a slut?"

"Yes, I am."

Karin and Naruto glared at each other with pure venom, but after a few moments she sighed and looked away.

"I was attending an all girls college." She said. "My parents don't trust me around boys, after they found out about what happened with you. I haven't had any chances to date. But, if you don't believe me, you guys can have a paternity test done if you like."

Naruto nodded. "I assure you, we will."

For a few minutes, they stared in opposite directions, not speaking. Naruto was wondering what was taking Sasuke so long when Karin spoke again.

"What about you, Naruto?" she asked lightly. "What are you going to do about this?"

Naruto snorted. "I still don't believe you, Karin."

Karin rolled her eyes. "Assuming I'm telling the truth, then."

Naruto looked at her thoughtfully.

"I don't know what I'm going to do." He said quietly. "If Sasuke is the father, then I don't know what kind of impact it will have on our relationship. I don't even know if I can trust him anymore, after what happened with you."

Now it was Karin's turn to snort.

"Can't trust him? As much as I hate to admit this, Naruto, that boy really does love you. Even when I had him drugged up, all he could think about was you. I had to resort to tricking him in order to do what I did, and even then he still thought only about you."

Naruto looked at her in disbelief. "Yeah. Sure."

Karin sighed. "He even called out your name. He seemed to think he was with you the whole time. If you want to hate someone, hate me. Slander my name if it makes you feel better, and tell all of your old friends back home about what an obsessed bitch I am. Feel free to hurt me in any way, but don't take this out on Sasuke. He's going to have a hard enough time without having you on his case. If you really can't deal with it, then break up with him, because he doesn't deserve the heartache of having you resent him for the rest of your life."

Karin stood suddenly and stormed off to the other side of the room, where there was an old, decrepit vending machine, but after she bought herself some chocolate she didn't return. She just stood there, staring out of the window, leaving Naruto alone to contemplate his raging thoughts.

The problem was that Naruto knew Karin, or had known her once upon a time, and he recognized her sincere tone when she had spoken about Sasuke. He resented her words, and wanted to scream that she knew nothing. He wanted to be mad at Sasuke for everything that had happened. And more importantly, he wanted to run as far from his situation and collect his thoughts properly.

But he knew that Karin was right. Sasuke was in a difficult position, one that was hardly his fault, and he would need his boyfriend more than ever in order to deal with it all.

With a sigh, Naruto thought hard about what Karin had said. The information that Sasuke had believed he had been with Naruto the night he was raped had come as a complete shock to him, and while he was confused, he felt his anger at Sasuke sliding away, until Naruto realized how much of a bastard he had been toward the Uchiha over the whole affair. He had treated him badly, and acted like Sasuke was entirely to blame for what happened, when all the evidence pointed in the opposite direction. Really, the only person to blame was Karin. And, after the way he had acted, Naruto believed that he deserved some blame too. He just hoped now that it wasn't too late to try to fix things with Sasuke, and he hoped that he would give him a chance to prove himself.

Looking up, he saw Karin looking at him from across the room. With a heartfelt sigh, he shook his head and mouthed 'sorry' to her. Her eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't respond, and only came back when she saw Sasuke heading toward the table again.

"Sorry I took so long." Sasuke said, "The warden insisted that I wait with her until the doctor arrived. We can go in now."

"Great," Karin said, leading the way. "Let's get this show on the road."

Naruto silently followed behind his boyfriend, too lost in his own head to respond when Sasuke spoke to him.

Sasuke gave him a concerned look and took his hand. "You okay?"

Naruto nodded weakly. "Yeah, I'm good. Don't worry about me."

Sasuke didn't look convinced, but allowed the matter to drop as they entered the office where the doctor would be doing his test.

After a brief description about what he was going to do, the doctor asked Sasuke and Naruto to wait outside while he did the test. The door was let slightly ajar, so that Sasuke could still hear what was being said, since he didn't trust Karin.

"I think she's telling the truth." Naruto said quietly. Sasuke looked at him curiously.

"Why do you think that?"

"There's just something about the way she's handling this. I knew Karin very well before I moved away, and I know when she's scared. Right now, she's terrified about this, so I doubt that she's faking it."

Sasuke closed his eyes let out a deep breath. He leaned his head against the door, bumping it several times.

"Fuck…" he whispered.

"What?" Naruto asked, watching as Sasuke continued to softly knock his head against the door.

"I want her to be lying." Sasuke said. "I want this to all be some stupid plot that we can defuse, so that we can get our lives back on track. I can't take much more of this, Naruto. And the best part is that I don't even have a family I can turn to, thanks to Itachi."

"You have got a family." Naruto said gently. "Tsume, Kiba and Hana. And you have Hinata, and all your other friends. And you have me. We're also your family, Sasuke, and we all love you."

Sasuke didn't reply. A full twenty minutes later, the doctor called for them to come back inside. When they entered, the doctor looked grave.

"Mr. Uchiha, Karin is indeed pregnant. As for paternity, we can't do that test for a few months yet. In this," he handed Sasuke a large envelope, "are ultrasound pictures. They are quite conclusive. Karin is most definitely pregnant."

Sasuke nodded faintly. "Thank you, sir."

The doctor nodded. "I also did an examination to check how sexually active she is, as you requested. As far as I can tell, she has had one, maybe two partners in the past few months, no more."

Sasuke nodded again. "Thank you."

"I'll see you in a few months for the paternity test then."

The doctor left the room, leaving Sasuke and Naruto to face Karin.

"I told you I was pregnant." Karin said.

"And the doctor said that you could have had more than one partner." Sasuke pointed out.

"I haven't." she replied. "It was only you, Sasuke."

Naruto looked at Sasuke. "We should go, Sasuke. Tsume will be worried."

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah. I'll call you some time, Karin. We can talk about what's going to happen."

Karin nodded. "Alright. And Naruto, please think about what I told you."

Naruto shrugged halfheartedly. "I will. See you around."

Together, they walked out of the room, leaving Karin behind.

_**XXX**_

During the drive home, Tsume questioned Sasuke at length, but he refused to divulge anything to her. He simply told her that she would be told when they got home, when Kiba and Hinata were present. She didn't particularly like the idea, but Sasuke was persistent. When they got home, Tsume gave Hana some money and told her to leave the house for a while, before calling Kiba and Hinata into the living room. The three of them sat on a long couch, while Sasuke sat with Naruto across the room from them. On the coffee table between them was the envelope with the ultrasound pictures, to which Sasuke gestured.

"Open that." He instructed wearily.

Tsume opened it and extracted the pictures, her jaw dropping instantly. Being a mother herself, she knew what she was looking at.

"I don't get it." Kiba said. "Is it an X-ray? Are you hurt?"

Hinata looked at the picture for a long time. She seemed to know what it was, and she was looking for the evidence.

"How long?" Tsume asked.

"About two and a half months." Sasuke replied faintly.

Kiba cleared his throat. "Guys, what's going on here? And what's the X-ray about?"

Sasuke looked down at the table. "It's not an X-ray, Kiba. It's an ultrasound."

Kiba looked, if possible, even more confused. "An ultrasound of what?"

"Karin."

The room seemed to become icy as everyone processed that.

"Karin is pregnant. And the child is probably mine."

"How?" Kiba asked, his eyes going wide.

"When Karin raped Sasuke." Naruto said, looking at Kiba. "She fell pregnant."

"No way…"

They fell silent again, and after a few minutes Hinata excused herself to go make some coffee for everyone.

"So, you're going to be a dad, huh?" Kiba asked Sasuke. "Wow…"

Sasuke nodded, looking lost.

Naruto, picking up on his mood, decided to try to lighten the atmosphere.

"Let's just hope that the baby inherits Sasuke's looks and brains." He joked. Kiba laughed, and Sasuke looked at Naruto like he had lost his mind.

"Sasuke, have you thought about what you want to do when the baby is born? I know that you haven't had time to think, really, but you need to make a decision, since Karin can't keep it."

Sasuke nodded. "I though about it last night, and most of today. Since Karin can't keep it, either I have to take it, or I have to give it up for adoption. I just don't know which would be better. For either the baby or myself."

"I think you should keep the baby." Naruto said quietly. "It might have been a mistake, but it's still your own child, and I know you'll regret not being able to be there for it."

Again, Sasuke was shocked. "I guess… I don't know. I need time to think about it properly."

"What ever you decide, I'll help you in any way." Tsume said.

"And you'll still have me, too." Kiba added.

"And me." Naruto whispered, leaning his head on Sasuke's shoulder. Tears started falling from Sasuke's eyes, and he quickly excused himself. He ran up the staircase and into his room, locking the door behind him. There, the tears fell freely from his face, and he punched the wall repeatedly until blood was pouring from his hand and he felt two of his knuckles break.

"Fuck!" he yelled in a mixture of frustration and pain. He collapsed onto his bed and buried his face in his pillows. He heard a knock on the door, but he ignored it.

"Sasuke, it's me." Naruto's voice called out. "Please open the door."

Sasuke ignored him, and he heard Naruto's footsteps retreating down the hallway. For a few moments, he thought he had managed to evade his boyfriend, but then he heard a scuffling noise outside. The window opened, and Naruto, who had climbed a tree outside the window, climbed in.

"It would have been easier if you had just opened the door, you know." Naruto commented lightly, sitting across the room from Sasuke.

"I didn't really want company." Sasuke retorted.

"Well that's fine. I won't bother you. But I'm not leaving the room, either. So when you want to talk, I'm here."

With that, Naruto turned Sasuke's computer on and went onto the internet. Sasuke watched him for a long time in comfortable silence, until he eventually decided to speak.

"Why do you want me to keep the baby?" he asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Because I know you'll be a good father."

"But what about you? Are you going to leave me because of the kid? Or pretend it doesn't exist?"

Naruto shook his head. "Neither. I'll help you in what ever way you want me to. I'll be here for both of you."

Sasuke smiled slightly. "You'd do that for me?"

Naruto smiled and walked over to him, wrapping his arms around him. "Of course I will. I love you, Sasuke Uchiha. And I'd do anything for you."

Sasuke looked at the roof. "I don't know what to think at the moment. This is all coming a little too fast for my liking."

"That's life." Naruto reasoned. "Things don't always happen the way we want them to. But in the end, we'll get through it all. Just wait and see."

"I'm trying to believe that, but it's difficult."

_**XXX**_

When Sasuke returned to college a few days later, he did so unwillingly. His mind was a chaotic wasteland, filled with debris from all of the shit he had gone through since the start of school, and he felt like he just couldn't cope anymore. True to that, he found that he couldn't concentrate in class, and often had bouts of nausea and dizziness. More often than not, he spent the last lesson or two in the nurse's office.

Days became weeks, and Naruto became worried about his boyfriend.

"Sasuke, are you alright?" Naruto asked as he led Sasuke out of the infirmary.

"I'm fine." Sasuke replied wearily. "I'm just very tired."

Naruto sighed. "That's not what I meant. What's going on in that head of yours, Uchiha?"

"The usual." Sasuke grumbled. "You. Karin. The baby. School."

"I think you need to take a break from college, Sasu. You need time for yourself."

Sasuke shook his head. "I need to keep busy. If I don't, I'll go insane."

Naruto sighed. "Well you should take fewer classes for a while. If you speak to the Dean, he'll organize something for you."

"Naruto, I don't think –"

"Just promise me you'll do it, Sasuke. I'm really worried about you. You aren't eating, or sleeping. You're acting like a zombie, and it's not good for you. Maybe you should go see the school councilor."

Sasuke bristled at that. "I don't need therapy."

Naruto looked at him seriously. "I think you do. You need to find some way to get out of this rut you're stuck in, and unfortunately there's only so much the rest of us can do. At this rate, you'll become suicidal, and I'm not willing to take that risk. I want my boyfriend back, not this shell that you've turned into because of that psycho bitch."

Sasuke regarded Naruto for a long moment before closing his eyes.

"I'll do it."

"Why not?" Naruto asked in exasperation. "It'll help you a lot, and – Wait, what?"

Sasuke grinned slightly. "I said I'll do it. For you. Now, can we please get back to our room? I think I'd like to sleep for a while. And while I do that, you can get an appointment with the councilor for me. Deal?"

"Deal." Naruto replied with a wide grin. "I'll get it all sorted for you, and you'll be back to normal before you know it."

"Uchiha's are never normal, Naruto." Sasuke said with a chuckle. "We act like it, but we're never normal."

_**XXXXX**_

**A/N: After reading over all the chapters again, I found that I really don't like this story. It's just too cliché, and maybe that's why I've been having a hard time writing it. I've started planning for a complete re-write, keeping the main elements of the story but changing enough to make it more original and a lot better to read. I wanted the story to be a bit darker, and more attention-grabbing, and I obviously went off track completely… My bad. **

**Let me know what you think about this please. I think it's be better for me to re-write this story, but if my readers want to keep it the same, then I won't, so it's up to you guys. **


	17. Chapter 17

_**Disclaimer: **_If I owned Naruto, Sasuke would never have left, and he'd be dating the blonde moron. So no, I don't own it.

_**Warnings: **_Yaoi and language, like always.

_**A/N: Thank you for all of the positive feedback! Since most of you like the story the way it is, I've decided not to do the re-write. I'll keep this going as it is. **_

_**Chapter 17**_

_Naruto's P.O.V_

Time had been passing by too fast.

It seemed like only yesterday that Naruto had gone with Sasuke to confirm Karin's pregnancy, and now she was due in a little over two weeks.

Sasuke had become recluse over the past month, retreating even further into his shell, despite his therapist's urgings and Naruto's pleas. He seldom left the dorm room, and he had even stopped attending lessons. The Dean was concern as well, and had sworn to Naruto that Sasuke would not receive a failing grade, so long as the Uchiha worked on his lessons in his own time. So far, Sasuke had kept up with the workload, but with the prospect becoming a father in only a few weeks he had given up completely.

"I'm really worried about him." Kiba sighed, glancing over to the window where Sasuke was sitting. "Does he even talk anymore?"

Naruto shook his head dejectedly. "No, only when you ask him a direct question. The rest of the time he just sits there. It's gotten to the point where I have to beg just to get him to eat."

"There must be something we can do." Hinata said quietly.

Temari shook her head. "He won't let us. You know him, Hinata. His pride gets in the way."

Sasuke stood up abruptly and walked across the room, heading to the bathroom. He paused momentarily in front of Naruto, who looked up into his dark, empty eyes imploringly. Sasuke held his gaze for a second, only to shake his head lightly and leave the room.

"That's it." Kiba said, getting to his feet and heading to the door. "This has gone on long enough."

"What are you going to do?" Temari asked.

"I'll be back later guys." Was all Kiba said in reply before the door closed behind him.

"What do you think he's going to do?" Hinata asked.

"I don't know." Naruto replied quietly. "But I'm willing to try anything. I'm scared he's going to do something stupid…"

_Sasuke's P.O.V_

On the other side of the bathroom door, Sasuke leaned his head against the cool tiles. His breathing was shallow, and tears kept forming in his eyes, only to linger there until they dried. It seemed that he had cried himself out.

"That's it." He heard Kiba say. "This has gone on long enough."

He heard the door close, and Naruto and Hinata murmuring softly.

Sasuke sighed deeply. He knew they only meant well, and he was honestly trying to get better, but it took a lot of effort to carry on like usual. If he lost focus for even a second, the melancholy sank in again and he lost himself.

He realized that he was probably over reacting. Many people had managed with unplanned pregnancies, even under bad circumstances. But it had all become too much. The death of his family was still fresh in his mind, as was the incident where Karin had raped him. He couldn't deal with any more.

Closing his eyes, he let his back slid down the wall until he was sitting on the cold floor. His chaotic thoughts swirled though his mind, still unsure of what to do, and at some point he must have slipped into an uneasy sleep. When he woke up, he was laying on his bed. It was dark out, and the lights were on. He could hear talking and movement nearby, but he didn't really pay attention to it. Only when someone mentioned waking him up did he open his eyes.

Blinking in the bright light, his eyes focused first on Kiba and Naruto, who where packing his clothing into a bag. On Naruto's bed was a second bag.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked, his voice hoarse.

"We're leaving." Naruto said softly. "We're going to Kiba's."

Sasuke felt his face pull into a scowl. He didn't like having plans made for him, without his consent.

"And when did you plan to tell me about this?" he asked waspishly.

"As soon as you woke up." Naruto replied, ignoring the tone. "Our bags are just about packed, and Tsume in already on her way to fetch us."

"What about school?"

"I've spoken to the Dean." Kiba said. "Naruto will have to come in over the next week to write his exams, but he won't have to stay here long. As for your exams, the Dean has decided that you can come and write them in about two months, once things have calmed down."

The scowl intensified, and his gaze turned icy.

"I'm not leaving." He said firmly, turning over on the bed and staring at the wall.

"Yes you are." Naruto contradicted. "You are coming with me to Kiba's."

Sasuke rolled over again and glared into Naruto's crystal blue eyes.

"No."

Naruto sighed. "Fine. Stay here. Whatever."

Hinata put a hand gently on Sasuke's leg. "Sasuke-kun, would you like some water?"

Sasuke gave a brief noise of assent, and the small Hyuuga girl went to the bathroom. A second later, she returned, holding a glass for him.

"Thank you." He said curtly. Raising the glass, he took a large gulp. "Why is it so important to you that I go?"

"Because we're worried about you." Kiba said in a half angry tone. "You need to get away from here, before the baby is born."

Sasuke looked away, his eyes clouding over. "It doesn't matter if I'm here or there."

"But being there will make things easier for you." Hinata said. "You know that Tsume will help wherever she can, and Naruto will be there with you, too. Think about it, Sasuke-kun. You don't want to be here when the baby is born."

Sasuke shrugged and sighed, staring at the wall. Truth be told, he didn't want to be at the school. Ever. He couldn't deal with it anymore.

"Fine. We'll go."

Hinata smiled at him and grasped his hand for a brief moment.

"My mom should be here in a few minutes." Kiba said softly, glad that Sasuke was seeing sense. "Better get downstairs."

_**oOo**_

It was only two days after their arrival that the news came. Naruto was at school, having just finished an exam, and Tsume was on her way to pick him up when the phone rang.

Sasuke scowled at it darkly before answering.

"Inuzuka residence."

"Hello," an official sounding voice greeted, "is there a Sasuke Uchiha there?"

"Speaking." Sasuke responded.

"Mr. Uchiha, I'm calling from the hospital. I've been told to request your immediate presence here."

Sasuke's blood pressure shot up, and his heart began to race in his chest.

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, Mr. Uchiha. You have a daughter."

Sasuke didn't process the words. "Wh-what?"

"You have a daughter."

Sasuke felt his body go numb. The phone dropped from his hand and hung from it's cord, the doctor on the other end completely forgotten.

"Hello? Mr. Uchiha? Sasuke?"

Sasuke stared blankly at the phone as if it were an unknown object. Time seemed to be standing still for him.

"Tsume…" he whispered, looking up. "Tsume!" he called, racing through the house. It took a few seconds to remember that she was currently picking up Naruto. He pulled out his cell phone and scrolled down to her number frantically.

"Come on…" Sasuke muttered as it rang. "Answer."

No luck. Sasuke dialed it again.

"Answer the fucking phone!" he all but yelled.

"Sasuke!" Tsume's voice yelled. "Language!"

Sasuke ignored her.

"We have to get to the hospital. Now."

In an instant, Tsume's voice became deadly serious. "Sasuke, calm down. What's happened?"

"The doctor… he, he said that…and I need to…"

Unable to finish a sentence, he just told her to hurry before hanging up and pacing the room. It was only minutes later that Tsume's minivan screeched to a halt in the driveway and Naruto ran into the house.

"Sasuke!" he yelled, expecting the worst. "What happened?"

He found Sasuke curled up on the couch, staring into space.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke grunted. "We have to go to the hospital." He said in a hopeless tone. "The baby was born."

Naruto looked panicked. "Isn't it too early?"

Sasuke shrugged. "She's only a week premature. She'll be fine."

"She?"

"I have a daughter." Sasuke stated.

Naruto nodded and took Sasuke's hand.

"Come on, let's get to the hospital. Tsume is waiting in the car."

With a sigh, Sasuke followed after Naruto, and in what seemed like no time at all, he found himself in the hospital. The doctors were talking more to Tsume than him, since he had closed himself off to them. He didn't care what they were saying; Tsume would fill him in later. There was a break in the conversation, and Sasuke noticed that everyone was looking at him.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said softly. "Did you hear the doctor?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"Um, Karin wants to see you for a minute. Do you think you're up for that?"

With a shrug, Sasuke nodded. She couldn't do any more damage to him, not any more.

The doctor led him to a room not far away and opened the door.

"I'll be just outside." He said as Sasuke stepped past him.

The first thing he noticed was an unpleasant smell in the air. The second was Karin, laying on the bed and looking completely exhausted.

"Hey." She said, looking away from him. "So, you have a little girl…"

"We have a little girl." He corrected absently.

Karin shrugged. "I won't be much of a mother to her, being in prison. And I figured that, since you'll have full uncontested custody of her, you wouldn't want her to know about me. You could always make up a story, you know. Tell her that her mother died in child birth of something."

Sasuke shook his head. "I won't do that. She won't know the full truth of the matter, but she'll know you, and I'll raise her to not hate you. If… when you get out of jail, and you've gotten yourself under control, you can meet her."

Karin's eyes fill with tears, and she began to sob. "I'm sorry. I wish I could take it all back."

Sasuke shook his head again. "I know, Karin. But you can't. It happened, and we have to accept that and do the best we can."

Karin nodded, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand. "You have to name her, of course. She looks like you, dark hair and dark eyes."

Unwittingly, Sasuke found himself smiling. "I can't wait to see her."

"You haven't yet?"

"No. I, um… I was too lost in myself… But now I want to see her. I – I think I'm ready for this now…"

Karin smiled at him. "Keep her safe for me, will you? And if I get out one day, and you think its okay, I'd love to meet her."

Sasuke nodded. Surprising even himself, he walked forward and wrapped his arms around her, briefly enfolding her in a hug.

"You will see her one day. And I'll call you, keep you updated on her progress."

"Thank you, Sasuke. You'll be a great dad to her."

Sasuke blushed, scratching the back of his neck. "I hope so…"

When he left the room, he found Naruto waiting outside with a curious expression.

"What was all that about?"

Sasuke smiled at him, the first genuine smile in along time. "I think I'm finally ready for this, Naruto. Seeing her just made me realize that I can't be self absorbed right now. There's a baby girl depending on me, and I need to be a good father to her. And you may think I'm crazy, but I forgave Karin for what happened. Holding a grudge against her is going to make me resent the kid, and she doesn't deserve that."

Naruto frowned. "I'm not going to pretend to understand it, but if this brings back the old Sasuke, then I'm glad for it."

Sasuke smiled again and gave Naruto a peck on the lips. "Everything is going to be okay. I can do this."

**XXXXX**

_**A/N: **_I know it's short. I'll try to make the next chapter a bit longer. Sorry for the long wait…


	18. Chapter 18

_**Disclaimer: **_I own not Naruto…

_**Warnings: **_Yaoi and language, like always.

_**A/N: **_Once again, I find myself needing to apologize for the delay… My access to the internet is rather irregular, which makes updating a bitch…__

_**Dedicated to Golden Cheshire, for just being that damn awesome. Here's to you!**_

_**Chapter 18**_

Sasuke walked quickly through the hospital's hallways, toward the pediatric ward. Since his daughter had been born a week premature, the doctors were doing check-ups on her to ensure that she was healthy, but Karin's doctor had said that it was unlikely that there would be any complications.

A step behind Sasuke was Naruto, following the Uchiha with a feeling of growing apprehension. It had been an easy thing to promise him that he would be there for him and help him raise his child, but now that the moment had arrived he was having second thoughts. He didn't know what he would do once the child came home with Sasuke and its presence became a permanent fixture in their lives.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was excited. He couldn't wait to meet his daughter and hold her, even if he was panicking on the inside. All the expenses of having a child kept running through his mind, and it was still another year until he would receive he inheritance his family had left for him. He had no idea how he was going to afford to raise this child.

He stopped dead outside the ward, his clammy hand grasping for Naruto's. He wanted to walk in and see her, but his fear was holding him back.

Naruto gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be okay, Sasuke." He murmured. "Get in there, and stop thinking so hard. We'll figure it all out."

"You'll come in with me?" Sasuke pleaded in a half whisper.

"Of course I will."

He took a deep breath and, holding firmly onto Naruto's hand, entered the room.

Karin's doctor was there, and he led Sasuke to the basinet that held his daughter. He approached hesitantly, until he caught sight of the small form curled up against the light pink blanket inside. Her hair was as dark as night, and her skin was as pale as porcelain. His eyes widened, and his breath hitched in his throat. He looked at the doctor questioningly, and he gave a nod, so Sasuke carefully lifted the tiny from the cradle and into his arms. She moved slightly, but remained sleeping as he held her.

"She's beautiful, Sasu." Naruto whispered, looking over his shoulder.

"She is." Sasuke replied with a smile.

"What are you going to name her?"

Sasuke's expression went completely blank. "I have no idea."

Naruto chuckled quietly, and Sasuke carefully lowered his daughter back into her basinet.

"When can I take her?" he questioned the doctor.

"We need to keep her here for a day or two, just to make sure she's completely healthy." The doctor replied. "After that, you can come in and sign the paperwork, and take her home with you."

Sasuke smiled and thanked the doctor. Taking Naruto's hand in his own, he led the blond from the room and out into the hallway to find Tsume.

"You seem better, now." Naruto noted quietly, and Sasuke looked down at the tiled floor, feeling ashamed.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." He whispered. "I've been horrid, these past few months. I don't know if I can ever make it up to you, but if you'll let me, I'd like to try."

Naruto smiled softly. "I'll hold you to that, Uchiha."

"Sasuke!"

Without thinking, Sasuke darted through a door to his left and into a darkened room.

"God damn it, Uchiha." He heard Naruto mutter. "Hey Sakura."

"What did I do this time?" Sakura demanded angrily. "I drove all this way to see if he's okay, and he bolts at the sound of my voice like I'm a fucking pariah or something."

Sasuke stepped back into the hallway, feeling embarrassed.

"Hey Sakura." He said, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "Sorry about that. Knee-jerk reaction."

"I'll jerk your knee through your throat…" Sakura muttered ominously, and Sasuke was very thankful that he had never dater the pink haired girl.

"I said I'm sorry." He said earnestly. "But don't you want to hear about the baby before you kill me?"

That had been the right thing to say. At the word 'baby', Sakura's eyes had lit up.

"Tell me about her!" she demanded. Naruto quickly turned a laugh into a coughing fit to keep her from flipping out again.

As they walked, Sasuke described the baby to her. She was a little put out by the fact that she still had no name, but instantly vowed to go through her parents baby books to help Sasuke find one. Personally, Sasuke vowed to not use anything Sakura suggested.

_**oOo**_

The next few days were a blur of activity. Last minute shopping, visits to the hospital, and general discord seemed to reign supreme, and Sasuke could barely remember anything of what happened. The only moments he seemed to recall were those when he was holding his daughter. After much deliberation, Sasuke had decided to name her Yuki. The name seemed fitting, as her skin was as pale as snow. Her eyes and hair were the color of obsidian, and to Sasuke she was completely perfect. He could see traces of Karin in shape of Yuki's nose and mouth, but the Uchiha genes were definitely dominant.

"She's perfect, isn't she?" Naruto whispered in Sasuke's ear as the Uchiha held his daughter.

"She is." Sasuke replied. "Do you want to hold her?"

A strange look flashed over Naruto's face, and he took a small step back. "I think you should hold her, Sasu. She needs to bond with you."

Sasuke arched an eyebrow at the blond. "There's going to be plenty of time for that once we take her home."

"Exactly. For now it's better if you hold her."

Sasuke made a mental note to ask Naruto what was going on inside his head, but let the matter drop for now. Turning back to his daughter, he gently placed her inside of her cradle and lightly kissed her pale forehead.

"Daddy has to go now." He murmured. "but I'll be back tomorrow."

Taking Naruto's hand, he led him through the hospital. When they stepped out into the parking lot, it was raining heavily. The world was a haze of grey blurs, and the cars were hard to see through the thick downpour. The sound of the rain created a steady beat against the asphalt as each drop landed and was dashed apart, making a soothing harmony in the otherwise grey world.

"Should have brought an umbrella." Naruto commented ruefully.

Sasuke laughed and grabbed Naruto's hand, running out into the rain with him in tow. Their feet splashed through the puddles, mixing with the sound of rain and Sasuke's giddy laughter as they ran in a seemingly random direction. It wasn't until they reached a cluster of trees beside the hospital that Sasuke slowed to a stop and Naruto gave him an odd look.

"What are you doing?" he asked in bewilderment.

"Feel like punching me?" Sasuke asked snidely, still grinning.

"Of course not!" Naruto exclaimed. "Why would I?"

"Feel like kissing me, then?"

"Are you okay, Sasuke? You aren't making any sense…"

Sasuke grinned even wider and kissed Naruto deeply.

"It's like the night you told me you were in love with me." He explained. "It was raining so hard, and you punched me. Then you confessed how you felt about me, freaked out, and I kissed you."

Sasuke watched as Naruto's eyes widened in realization. With a smile he kissed Sasuke again. "I remember. Of course, how could I forget that night?"

They kissed once more, deeper and with more passion, until the need for air separated them. Even then they held onto each other tightly, enjoying the rain and each other.

"Love you." Sasuke said.

"Love you too, Sasu." Naruto replied, smiling softly against the Uchiha's neck. He wished that love could be enough to face the tribulations to come, but somehow he knew it wouldn't be.

Somehow, deep down, he knew that their end would come sooner than either of them expected, however much he wished that it wasn't true…

_**XXXXX**_

_**A/N: **_Much shorter than usual, I know. But I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. If there's anyone still reading this, leave me a review please. This story is coming to a close, but there is definitely going to be a sequel, which I'm hoping to be able to update more frequently…


End file.
